So This Is
by Gemini-moon1
Summary: A AF fic. What if Faith never went to Sunnydale and she and Angel meet later.
1. It Starts

Okay the time line for this story is a little messed up. But the main point is that Faith ran away when she was 15 and never went to SunnyDale or meet any of the characters in Angel and Buffy.  
  
So this is L.A. The young woman thought to herself looking around. She always knew she wanted to travel. Anything to get away from her childhood. She had run away when she was 15. She just couldn't take it anymore, so she dropped out of school, took some money she saved up and left. Her mother must not have cared because no one came after her. No one would notice if she came or went, that's the way she liked it. Some guys showed up a year later, said they were with a council of some kind. They bothered her for a while but she got the message through for them to leave her alone, well that and something about "the other not dying" but every once in a while she would get weird calls from them. The whole thing freaked her out, but they weren't the types she saw hurting her. She was 18 now, soon to be 19. She would get a crappy job as a waitress or something, stay in a crappy apartment, usually steal what she needed, get enough money then leave any way she could. Now she was here. It looked like an okay city. She slowly walked out of the bus and looked around. "Hey, bright eyes!" She looked around immediately to see the bus driver still in his seat. "You know where you going? Gorgeous young thing like you can get hurt pretty fast in a city like this." "Yeah I'll be fine." And with that she walked off. Holding on to the black bag that was swung around her shoulder looking around her as she walked down the sidewalk. "Yep," she said to herself "Welcome home Faith."  
  
  
  
"Quiet day." Wesley said looking up from his book towards Cordy and Gunn. He himself had just gotten to the city a month ago, when he ran into Angel and Cordy. Right after they bought this hotel and then soon met Gunn. Cordelia Chase was laying back on the couch and read a new magazine, and Gunn was sitting in the corner sharpening an ax. "You know, Wes most people would find the fact that there are no disgusting, evil creatures trying to rip us to pieces." Said Cordelia sarcastically. Without warning a very handsome young man seeming to be around 26 came down the stairs. "Anything yet." "NO!" The other three replied together. "Fine. I'm going out for a walk." He said grabbing a long black coat on a near by chair. His friends still occupied with what they were doing. "Don't every body try to stop me at once." He grumbled.  
  
  
  
Faith had found a hotel room to stay in for a while, it wasn't the fanciest place but it was better then some of the places she had stayed over the years. "Least I've got food now" She thought to herself, looking at the groceries in her arms that she had just gotten from the corner store. She looked around. She was walking in a busy promenade. Fountains, hundreds of vendors every where, people talking happily with there family and friends. It brought a rare smile to her face, though she didn't know why. "Well better get home." She watched parents walking there young children home. A frown came on her face knowing what her first few years of life had been like. Her walking started to pick up pace. Soon she was on a side street only a block or two from her hotel room when suddenly some one jumped her from behind and threw her against a brick wall. She looked at him and froze. There was something wrong with his face. It was all crumpled up and his eyes were completely yellow. "What's a pretty thing like you doing out all by yourself." He asked with a smile that showed large pointy teeth. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" Faith screamed shoving him off of her with strength she didn't even know she had he reached for her again and punched then kicked him. She turned to run but he knocked her down. Suddenly a man ran by her. She looked around but all she saw for a second was some kind of dust. She looked up at him. He was pretty tall with brown hair and eyes. He was well built and had an extremely handsome face. "Are you alright?" "Yeah, yeah. I 'm fine. Where did what guy go?" "He....ran off." "She could already tell that he was lying but really didn't want to stay in this ally. She looked over to see her groceries on the ground. She gave out a sigh and went over to pick some of the spilled food out. She bent over to pick it up when the stranger came over and started to help her. "So what are you doing around here?" he asked with a general sound of interest. This made her nervous. Getting close to people was not on her list of things to do. A one night stand she could do but after that things get blurry. "Just staying at a hotel near here." She said quietly. She tried to pick up the refilled bag but felt a sharp pain in her arm. She must have hurt it during the fight. "Hurt your arm?" the stranger asked. "How did you know?" "Oh,...I saw you flinch. I could help you take this stuff back to your place." "Okay, what ever." She said suspiciously. She was starting to get nervous. She couldn't move her arm and he wanted to know where she lived, but still there was something about him that made her want to trust him. "I'm Angel" He said giving her a small smile. "I'm Faith."  
  
  
  
Angel was walking slowly down an old sidewalk. He had left the hotel and had started wondering around and ended up on a street that he had never seen or heard of before. "I should have just stayed home." He thought bitterly. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" It was that yell of a young woman. He looked down the street to a vampire pinning a young woman against the wall. Suddenly she threw the vampire of her then punched him in the face and kicked him in the face. 'Wow' was the first thought that came to his mind. She would have to be incredibly strong to be able to do that. He saw her fall to the floor. He ran past her and stacked the vamp quickly so she wouldn't see. "Are you alright" he asked as he looked down as she turned over on the floor. Now that he was closer to her he could see how beautiful she really was. She had raven black eyes and dark brown hair. She had a gorgeous face and was wearing a purple tank top leather pants and a black jacket that show an outline of a beautiful body. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Where did that guy go?" "He....ran off" only realizing how stupid it was after he said it. He could tell that she didn't believe him. She looked away from him and gave out a sigh and she got up and walked over to scattered groceries on the ground and walked over to help her. "So what are you doing around here?" he asked. Something about her seemed that she didn't know the area well. "Just staying in a hotel near here." She tried to lift up the bag of food but instead gave a small wince in her arm "Hurt your arm?" "How did you know?" The way she said it she obviously didn't trust him, or many other people. "Oh....I saw you flinch. I could help you take this stuff back to your place." He didn't want anything to happen to her. Where there was one vampire there were usually more, and she may be a fighter but she could fight with a hurt arm. "Okay, whatever." "I'm Angel." "I'm Faith." 


	2. A Whole Lot Of Whats

London, England 1802  
  
"I can't belive I'm late!" a young girl cried as she walked as quickly as she could through the cold night streets. She appeared to be some where in her teens and of some beauty. Looking at her you would know that she was not a rich woman but not of very poor standards, perhaps the daughter of a beaker or some merchant or inn owner. As fast as she was walking she didn't notice the crack in the ground and fell face first on to the ground. It took her a moment to realize what happened and that the bottom of her dress was torn. 'Mother will be angry' she thought as she pulled herself up. Suddenly a hand came out in front of her. She looked up to see a well dressed gentle man to brown hair and dark brown eyes. "He looked incredibaly handsome. "Do you need some help miss?" He asked as he helped her up. "Maybe some one to walk you safely home." "Of course that is very kind of you." She said giving him a flirty smile. "My name is Anne." "My name is Angelus."  
  
Present Day  
  
"So what are you doing staying here?" said Angel desperately trying to make some small talk with the dark beauty he had just meet. He knew there was something special about her but he had no idea what, besides even if she was an ordinary person it was nice to have someone to talk to about something besides horrible night time monsters. "Just traveling around." She said calmly, one thing she absolutely didn't want was some stranger getting to close to the real her, even if it was nice to talk to him. There was something in him that reminded her of herself. Some kind of a darkness or lonliness or some crap like that. He was cute. Maybe he wouldn't mind spending the night. Before she could think about that final thought they reached the hotel. "Would you like to come in?" She asked simply. "Sure." He said not exactly sure what she had on her mind. He walked into the small motel room and put the groceries on a nearby night stand. "Are you here by yourself?" He asked. Right after he said it he knew it was not the right thing to ask a beautiful young woman he had just meet and followed home. "Never mind, bad question to ask." "No it's okay. I am by myself. Do you want something to eat?" "No I'm fine." He thought it sounded better than "I like to drink human blood."  
"So what was that guy who attacked me?" "What?!" Angel said turning around to face her. "Come on, there was no way that guy was normal, plus I can tall your hiding something from me and I want to know what is." "Um...I..He was some guy with...a thing." Angel said nervously. "Okay THAT was pointless. Now let's try what really happened and cut the crap." "I'd tell you but you'd never believe me." "Give it a try." "Okay here it goes. That guy was a vampire and I'm one to and I was really bad so gypsies cursed me with a soul so I feel guilty about all the horrible things I've done so I help people and I still have no idea how you hurt him so easily because vampires are really strong. Got that?" "Yeah. I that really the story you want to stick with?" "If you want the truth." "God the last time I heard any thing about "vampires" was from those council people." "Wait, what. You mean the Watchers Council?" "Yeah something like that." Her eyes narrowed. "How did you know?" "But Buffys fine! When did they talk to you." "I don't know about a year ago or so. Why am I telling you this! Look just leave okay." "It makes since now. That vampire. That's why you could punch him so easily. You're the slayer that was called after Kendra died!" "Okay! Get out NOW!" "Wait!" "GET OUT!" she punched him in the face and watched as his face suddenly changed just like the man in the ally's had. She imeadietly backed away. "What are you!" "I told you." He said his face turning back to normal. "I'm a vampire." "What!" "Vampire. And you're a slayer." "What?" "A girl who kills evil things." "But, what?" "Can I explain it to you if you'll let me talk to you a little while?" "Fine whatever. Just don't do something stupid."  
  
What do you think? And do you want Angel to be able to lose his soul because of the happiness or not? 


	3. No Damsel In Distress

"Okay, "Angel". Or whatever your name is creepy person. What hell the hell do you think you know about me?" She said turning to face him giving him an icy glare while doing so.  
  
It took him a minute to understand what she was saying, he kept staring at her. She was so gorgeous. She had something inside of her. That darkness inside her that wasn't really darkness, it was a shaded light, the beauty of darkness and light mixed together. If any of that made any since at all. "Huh? Oh! Yeah. You're the or I should say "a" slayer."  
  
"Well, that's good, in fact that's...that's really just great. You going to tell me what the fuck that is?!" Now he was getting annoying, in a sexy, shadowy, handsome sort of way. Why wouldn't he just give her a straight answer? Was it really that hard? "Look, are you going to tell me or not?" she said realizing that she still had not been given an answer.  
  
"Look, this could take a while and the sun is coming up in another hour. Could we just go back to my place, you'll meet some people who can help you and I can explain on he way."  
  
"And was there even a cell in your body that thought I would go threw with that plan."  
  
Angel let out a sigh. He wasn't used to this. Most of the people he tried to help wanted his help and were too scared to ask any questions. Faith wasn't scared, she didn't think she needed his help and she was prepared to fight him every step of the way. This was definitely no damsel in distress. "Please?" he asked. Her cold face stayed the same. "Okay look we can do that or we can just stay here and then I get stuck here all day because I have no way to leave."  
  
"Or you could just go away and not come back. No one is making you stay."  
  
"Please? You saw my other face and that vampire's in the alley so you know not everything I'm saying is completely insane."  
  
"If you think for a second that I'm going to..." She would have finished and threw him out but something outside the window caught her eye. It was a man from yesterday, after she had gotten out of the bus station, a bunch of guys started hitting on her. They didn't back off so she punched a few of them. They were all dressed in nice out fits and had that attitude, you know "I'm here bow down to my greatness" Now one of them was standing on the side walk just outside the building. This was way too much of a coincidence for him to be here in this side of town.  
"Okay I'll go with you, but let's leave, NOW." She said rather hurriedly as she walked toward the door.  
  
Angel wasn't stupid, he knew something she'd seen had made her decide to come, but considering that it would be impossible to get her to leave other wise and the fact that he wanted to get her out of this dump as soon as possible he decided not to push the issue, instead he just followed closely out the door.  
  
?  
  
"And you expect me to believe that I am some sort of "chosen one" super hero? No."  
  
"Well how do you explain your strength? And the dreams you told me about." Angel said still looking at her while she looked forward in the direction of the hotel that was only a few blocks away now. He had, after a few minutes of talking, gotten her to tell more about herself and finally told about the weird dreams she had. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Buffy had had the same dreams. Buffy and Faith. Two people with one very large thing in common, yet completely opposite of each other. Buffy was always that upper middle class, golden girl. Faith was more of a dark beauty, who had obviously seen a lot of pain. He was glad that she opened up to him.  
  
"Are we almost there? We've been walking forever. What were you doing in my side of town any way?" Faith said. She wasn't really tiered but she would really like to change the subject. Him knowing all this shit about her was making her nervous. Her number one rule was never let anyone get to close. She had already broken that rule a couple of times in her life and the relationships with all those people had always ended, badly. No way this guy was getting by.  
  
"Yeah, we're almost there. Only another half block or so." He didn't want her to just take off like she looked like she would. He could tell she wanted to bolt. He couldn't let that happen. She had to stay. She had to understand what she was...What he was.  
  
They carried on in silence until they got to the old large hotel they had been walking towards. "Okay here we are Faith. My friends should still be here."  
  
"Yeah, about that. There not all dark monster things too right?"  
  
That comment stung, though it wasn't her fault. For some reason it hurt coming from her more then it did from any one else who had said it.  
  
"No, their not." He said coldly.  
  
Faith heard the coldness in his voice and she could feel a shiver run through her body. Something told her this wasn't the type of guy to get mad. Didn't matter. She wouldn't stay long. She'd listen to him talk, blather on then leave. No big deal. She could leave after this. Maybe she'd leave town get a ride with some guy and leave.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"What?" She said surprised he had said anything.  
  
"I'm sorry, for being cold, and dragging you out here." He said. He could tell that she was pulling away. If she left he might not find her for a while, if ever again. And if some other vampire or some demon found out that there was a new slayer with no training, no skills, and no idea what she was or what she could do, she would be an immediate target. He didn't want to see her get hurt. She may be the slayer, she may be tuff, she may be willing to kick the ass of every single person who got in her way, and the odds are she would win. But there were things out there that would love the mere sent of her blood. The sight of her beautiful body cut into pieces. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't be a lover to one slayer, but maybe he could be the friend of another.  
  
  
  
"So why do live in a hotel that's been haunted by decades of evil?" Faith said walking in to the hotel lobby. She had just asked why he owned and lived in a hotel. She thought that the answer would be a little more simple then the answer she was given. You know some something like "I like the view, the building was wonderfully made, or my grandfather used to own it." Or possibly even "I once killed a girl and I buried her under the floor boards." No, no, no. It couldn't be anything like that. Yeah, her life was definitely about to get a WHOLE lot more complicated.  
  
"Well it's not exactly tha..." He never got to finish the thought as Gunn had suddenly come running out of the side office. "Angel! Where've ya been? One HUGE slime faced demon just showed up, we managed to cut it hands off and all but we had to cut it pieces to kill it, there is this nasty stain on the carpet though and...oh.... hello." He said looking up to see Faith standing in front of him. "Yeah...so...hello." Was the only thing Gunn could mange to say. There was an awkward silence as Gunn looked back and forth between Faith and Angel.  
  
"Ummm...Gunn? Could you get Wes and Cordy in my office so we can talk?"  
  
"Oh yeah." Gunn said happy to leave. Something in his gut told him there was going to be a hell of a story behind this one.  
  
"Nice friend, what the fuck was that about cutting and blood?" Faith said, already not liking the way things were going.  
  
"Uhh..Faith can you wait here while I go talk to them." Angel said already knowing that wasn't going to happen.  
  
"Okay, let's stop and think what's wrong with that sentence."  
  
Angel let out an exasperated sigh. He had to admit that she was taking this much better then most people would. She'd must have seen a lot in her life. They were the ones who took it better. "Faith please? I promise nothing bad will happen to you."  
  
"Yeah. Like I haven't ever heard that one before." Suddenly a flash of the man from the motel parking lot came to her. She had dealt with gangs, thugs, guys who thought they were god's gift, perverts, and some real creeps but there was something about them that really scared the hell out of her. "Okay I'll stay, but if something happens I'm gone. Okay?"  
  
Angel could already tell there was something bothering her, something that maybe scared her. It couldn't have been his awe inspiring speech that made her change her mind. "Okay. I'll be right back."  
  
  
  
Angel walked into his office to see Gunn and Cordelia sitting in the chairs that were in front of his desk and Wesley leaning against the wall holding a book.  
  
"Well?" Gunn asked impatiently. "Who's the hottie out there?"  
  
Angel started to give Gunn a glare then stopped. Faith was attractive. You'd half to be blind not to be able to see that, he just didn't want any one else to notice.  
  
"Her name is Faith." He said sitting down behind his desk. "She's a slayer. This got everyone's attention.  
  
"What do you mean she's the slayer?" asked Cordelia. "Did something happen to Buffy?"  
  
"No." Angel said calmly, with everyone still staring at him. "Do you remember Kendra? The slayer that got called the time after Buffy died? And Dru killed her? After Kendra died Faith was called.  
  
"So she's the other." Said Wesley surprising everyone.  
  
"You knew there was another slayer and you never told us?!" Cordelia said glaring at him.  
  
"After Knedra died, this Faith was called. But no one could get her to listen or obey."  
  
"I can believe that." Angel muttered.  
  
"The council knew that Buffy was still alive, so there was one active slayer on duty. Faith was a young teenage runaway, from what I heard. None of the ones in charge thought that she would last very long so they let her go. When she was gone someone more controllable would take her place and the world would have two slayers."  
  
"So what? You just left a young teenage girl by herself on the streets of America hoping she would die soon because she couldn't be controlled?!" said Angel already feeling his anger rising. "How could they just do that?"  
  
"The Watcher Council my be many things but caring is just not one of them." Wesley said wincing at some memory he had from his youth.  
  
"So what's she doing here? Not that I'm going to put out another of your precious damsels in distress but how did you find her?" Cordelia asked Angel.  
  
"This is no "damsel in distress" Angel said thinking of Faith's cold glare and attitude.  
  
?  
  
Meanwhile....  
  
Faith was sitting in the lobby. She could here voices in the office through. But through the large oak door they were just whispers. 'I should have just stayed back at the hotel' she thought to herself.  
  
Across the street unknown to anyone in the old hotel a camera was hooked to the building at the opposite side of the street. Had anyone bothered to check, as of that mourning, the building was owned by the law firm Wolfram and Hart. 


	4. Together At Home

"So you just ran into her?" Gunn said after hearing Angel's story.  
  
"You don't think she could be with Wolfram and Hart do you?" said Cordy. Everyone turned to stare at her. "Hey I'm just saying, don't you think it's a very interesting that things have been so quiet lately and then Angel goes out and 'happens' to meet a girl in trouble that turns out to be a 'helpless' slayer? Don't you think that is quite the coincedence?  
  
"Cordelia does have a point Angel. We know next to nothing about this girl. What do you intend to do with her anyway?" Wesley asked questionably.  
  
"Guys, look she's not lying I can tell. We can't leave a slayer out there with absolutely know idea what she's capable of. Do you have any idea what most creatures would do if they found out about this?"  
  
"Yeah, we know that but what are you going to do with her?" Gunn asked  
  
"I don't know yet. Look why don't you guys go home and I'll talk to Faith about it. She doesn't really seem to like a lot of people around her." Angel said carefully.  
  
"Wait! What? You just want as to leave you here with some stranger? What if she does something to you?" Cordelia asked with a concerned voice.  
  
"Or what YOU would do to HER." Gunn stated to Angel.  
  
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Wesley asked.  
  
"You haven't seen this girl yet. She's hot."  
  
"Look, I'll be fine o.k.? You guys just go home and get some rest and come over around noon like you guys usually do." Angel cut in sharply. First he had to make sure that Faith was still in the city and hadn't bolted while they were talking.  
  
"Fine, whatever we'll go. But if she tries to kill you don't blame us." Said Cordy.  
  
?  
  
Angel walked into the lobby not really knowing what he'd find. What he did find was that Faith had fallen fast asleep on the couch. She looked so beautiful. Her legs had been tucked up close to her and she had curled up into the center of the pillow she was leaning against like a kitten. Her dark hair was fanned out around her and her arms looked slightly limp at her side. 'I can't just leave her in the middle of the lobby.' He thought to himself. He went over and scooped her up into his arms. He felt her make some soft movements in his arms and cuddle closer into his chest. An unwilling smile passed his lips for a brief instant. 'Better hurry, if she wakes up and catches me holding her like this I'm dead where I stand.' He thought as he carried her up the stairs.  
  
  
  
It was late afternoon when Faith started to open her eyes. She stretched her arms over her head and arched her back to get all of the kinks out. She sat up with a smile on her face and blinked a few times. It took only an instant for the warm smile to disappear.  
  
'WHERE THE HELL AM I!?!?!?!?' Faith thought to herself. She looked around. She was in a tasteful room, if not a bit dark, though in an elegant sort of way. She was in the center of a very large bed. The mattress was soft and the entire bed and pillows felt like they were covered with silk and satin. '  
  
'Okay don't panic, where was the last place you were?' That guy. Angel. She was in his hotels lobby.  
  
'I must have fallen asleep on the couch. How did I end up here, wherever the fuck here is.'  
  
Suddenly she heard a door slowly creak open. She looked over in the direction of the door and saw mister 'I'm tall dark and handsome' himself. 'I knew it.' Was the only thing that crossed her mind.  
  
"Glad to see you're awake." Angel said, half cheery, half cautious. He wasn't exactly sure how the slayer beauty would act when he walked in. She didn't seem the type who liked surprises.  
  
"You want to tell me where the hell I am!?!" Faith said glaring at him.  
  
"You fell asleep on couch downstairs. I couldn't just leave you there so I put you in my room while I slept in one of the others." Angel said quickly.  
  
Okay, I'm in the bed of a guy who thinks he's a vampire. This is going to make a VERY interesting story later. Not to mention weird. First time she'd ever been in the bed other man she didn't sleep with and he thinks he's a blood sucking creature of the night. 'You meet the most interesting people on the road.' Was all Faith could think of as she sat there.  
  
"Yeah well that's great. I'm going home now." She said slipping out from under the covers.  
  
"What? Wait! You can't go yet!" Angel said quickly rushing over to her side.  
  
"What do mean I can't go? I'm pretty much through here. I don't know why I came to begin with." "What about being the slayer? The other...stuff." Angel said trying to find someway to make her see how much danger she was in. There had to be some way to make her do...something, whatever the hell it was that either of them were going to do. Telling a girl she was a slayer was the council's job, not his.  
  
"Look I have no idea what you want me to do but I think I can get along just fine." She said walking by him.  
  
"And how much longer do you think you'll last living like you do? You can't keep going on like that, it's a miracle that you've even lasted this long." Angel said trying to get her attention.  
  
Faith immediately snapped around. "Look, I have no idea who the fuck you think you are but you don't know me and right now I would really like it to stay that way, so you can just take your slayer crap and shove it!" she said voice dripping with venom.  
  
The two of them continued to stare at each other for a long while in silence.  
  
"Look." Angel finally said. "I don't know you, and after talking with you I can tell that you cab probably handle yourself, but that guy in the ally. That vampire who almost killed you, there are things out there a million times stronger and worse and you can kill them if you only know how." Looking at her he could tell that none of this was really going work, even he had a hard time believing himself. He let out a sigh. "Look can you just stay a few days? I'll prove to you that you are who I say you are and that you are needed to help others weather you like it or not, please? You can even stay here, I have at least 100 empty rooms you can have, you wouldn't have to pay anything."  
  
Faith just looked at him. For some reason him asking her like that made her want to stay. Maybe it would be nice to have someone to talk to who didn't just want to get her into bed. Besides it wasn't like she was going anywhere, she had no money and she would be thrown out of the motel she was staying at soon.  
  
"Fine I'll stay here, but only because I'm about to get thrown out of the motel I'm staying at. And if things get too weird I'm gone. Got it?" Faith said staring at him.  
  
"Yeah." Angel said giving a small smile. 'I won that one...I think.....I hope.'  
  
"So, uh, when do you want to move in?" This is not the kind of thing my work should include he thought to himself.  
  
"I need go get my stuff." Faith said in a monotone voice.  
  
"We can go right now. Sunset was officially a few minutes ago. The whole thing shouldn't take very long if we take my car." He said eager to get her out of that place. He didn't need his super senses to tell him that place had seen a lot of blood.  
  
"Fine, away we go." Faith said sarcastically.  
  
  
  
Wolfram And Hart  
  
"So is so fascinating about what soul boy is doing now?" Lindsey said walking into secretive room located near the basement of Wolfram and Harts head office with his co-partner Lilah Morgan walking in behind with paper work in hand, still filling something out.  
  
"We've been reviewing the surveillance tapes that we got from watching at Angels Hotel. Most of them are just the same old pattern, but recently someone new has shown up." Said a younger man putting a tape into the VCR.  
  
"Oh? So what is it now?" Lilah said looking up from her paper work.  
  
"See for yourself." He pushed play. At first it just showed the shadowy figure of Angel walking out the front doors. But instead of walking out alone as usual someone else came out behind him. A beautiful young woman in her early twenties or late teens. She was tall and slender with long dark raven hair with a perfect body and face.  
  
"Well who has are little friend picked up now?" Holland Manners said with a small smile on his face that would cause most people to break.  
  
"I have no idea, but she came just before sunrise and stayed all day, they left together right after sun down and came back an hour later carrying some bags in. I don't think she'll be leaving for a while, looks like she's going to stay with him."  
  
"So Angels found a little girlfriend." Lindsey said with a smug smile.  
  
"A pretty one too." Lilah said taking some interest. "Who is she?"  
  
"Well," said the man standing next to the television. "We don't know. We don't know her name, her age, where she's from. Basically we don't know anything about her."  
  
"Well find out. If there is any way to get to Angel, something tells me it's her."  
  
  
  
Two days later  
  
Two days, Faith thought to herself. She'd been living in this place for two days. The room she had chosen was about six rooms away from Angels but close to the lobby. She'd gotten to know everyone a little better. Wesley was sweet in a bookish, nervous, over zealous kind of way. Cordelia was nice enough, but they really irotated one another. To Faith Cordelia was a over protective, air head fashion prone, rich bitch and to Cordelia Faith was a completely cold, untrustworthy, bitchy tramp of a slut. But the two of them could tolerate each other. Gunn was the most like her. Both had spent a lot of time on the street, and could really relate to each other.  
  
She sat down on her bed and looked around. She had killed a few vampires and learned more about the world around her that most people ever would. But did she really want this life? That was the question she had asked herself almost 100 times in the past few days. It was dangerous, but she'd probably live longer doing this than they way she was going before.  
  
Angel was constantly checking up her, even when they weren't out on a power that whatever mission thing, that made her a little jumpy. She was mostly used to doing whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Having someone always watching out for her drove her crazy. Could he just back away? Having people around her that she knew was nice but having people care about her so much all at once was something she didn't really want.  
  
  
  
Tow days. Angel thought, she had been living here for tow days. He liked it, always having someone there, even though he would nee r admit it. He could tell that him checking up on her every half hour made her jumpy and that she was getting annoyed. He knew he should stop but he always had thins nagging feeling in the back of his head that something terrible was going to happen to her the second he was away. For most people that would classify as over protective paranoia, but looking at the track record of what seemed to always happen to the people he cared about, he had a right to be a little shaken. He looked at the clock. 10:00 am. Faith usually got up around this time. He would wait in the lobby for her. If she found out he knew her sleeping times she would definitely freak out. That was the last thing he wanted. She was just now starting to open up to him, and he liked that. He wanted it to keep happening. 


	5. Part Of A Day

"Okay, Faith how about we try some sword training." Said Wesley getting the punching bag down from the ceiling.  
  
"Swords? When am I ever going to use a sword?" Faith asked stretching a little as she did.  
  
"You'd be surprised. And besides a slayer must be prepared for any situation." Wesley said pulling two swords out of a nearby cabinet.  
  
"How do you know so much about demon, magic, and slayer training? That isn't the stuff that is on the usual résumé." Faith said grabbing the weapon that was just through for her.  
  
"Well, originally I was trained to be a watcher." He said with a strange smile on her face, that seemed to be there just to hide something.  
  
"Watcher?" she said giving him a questioning look.  
  
"Specially trained men and women of help guide slayers on there paths. That's probably the simplest way to put it." He said.  
  
"What do you mean you 'originally' were?"  
  
"Well I wasn't a very good one. Buffy knew that from the beginning and never really listened."  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"The reason you're a slayer, the one who died and came back. I wasn't understanding enough."  
  
"Well you seem pretty good at what you do to me."  
  
Wesley smiled. "Thank you." And the two started training.  
  
?  
  
About an hour and a half later Faith came up the stairs. Wesley was still in the basement cleaning up the equipment. She turned the corner and started to head up the stairs, when she ran into Angel and Cordelia.  
  
"Faith! There you are! Cordelia just had a vision, were going down town to take care of it quick. You coming?" he asked staring at her.  
  
"Sure why not, I've got nothing better to do." Faith said. She didn't really care if she went or stayed but going would really piss of Cordelia and besides, she hadn't killed any monsters in two days.  
  
?  
  
The demon had been easy to beat. It was just wondering around in the graveyard planning on killing the first thing that came along. They were already back at the hotel. Cordelia was typing something on the computer and Angel, as usual, was hiding in his dark gloomy room either just sitting there in his thoughts or reading some book. Typical.  
  
And in the mean time I'm sitting here completely bored out of my mind. Screw this. I'm going out tonight. She picked her jacket up from the couch it had been lying on and left.  
  
?  
  
Angel walked out of his room around 5 A.M. He had fallen asleep while reading a book. 'Where is everyone?' he thought to himself. Cordelia must have gone home, Wesley too. But Gunn had said he was going to stop by a little before dawn he should be here any minute. Faith. She should be asleep right now, he thought passing by her room. But something was wrong. She wasn't in there. The door had been left wide open and there was no one in there. And the black leather jacket she always wore was gone. She must be out. At 5 A.M? She's never up this early. A small shiver of worry went through him. Relax, she's fine. She can handle herself, you already know that. But still....Faith was NOT a morning person. He heard the large lobby doors open downstairs. He went to the steps and walked down the stairs a little more faster then usual. When he got there Faith was already at the bottom of the stairs and on her way up. He relaxed immediately.  
  
"Faith! There you are." Angel said with his usual cool tone.  
  
"Yeah, Here I am. Where else would I be?" she asked with her usual sarcasm.  
  
Looking at her you would know she hadn't slept yet. She looked so tired. She had to get to bed soon or she'd fall over. She smelled like smoke, sweat, and beer. Dancing. She must have gone to a club somewhere. He remembered her saying something about her liking to do that and the music coming from her bedroom seemed to be always on. He'd seen her dance once. Only for a moment before he left. She was good at it and looked perfectly beautiful while doing it. Even he had to admit that.  
  
"I walked by your room and you weren't there. Besides you usually aren't up this early." He said trying not to show how worried he'd been. She already thought he was protective enough. "I went out to a few clubs." Said Faith wobbling up the stairs. She had been drinking.  
  
"You've been drinking haven't you?" he let out a sigh. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He said putting an arm around her waist trying to support her.  
  
She smiled and giggled a little. "Mmm, Angel you want to do something else?" she said seductively tripping still form her drunkenness. She laced her arms around his neck. "Angel." She said as a quiet statement.  
  
Angel tried to focus on getting her up the stairs and not her body pressing against his. She must have drank more then he thought. After a few minutes of struggling up the stairs he finally got her into her bedroom and put her on the bed. He watched her as she fell asleep. She'd be fine, for now. She would have a hell of a hang over when she woke up though. She'd been drinking to escape. He knew all about that. When he was human he drank all the time, all he had wanted then was to get out, to forget. He had wanted a different life. And he had gotten it eventually. And he had become something worse.  
  
Hey guys thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry it's been a while but school's been driving me crazy. This is pretty much a chapter about nothing important, just a day. 


	6. Thoughts Of Faith

It had been four hours and he was still watching her. Old habits die hard. She was five feet in front of him curled into the blankets. Sometimes she would get a terrible look on her face and he knew that she was having nightmares. About what, he didn't know. Part of him didn't want to know, another part wanted to know but only if she would tell him. He wondered to himself if he was going to stop watching her sleep and leave. But he never thought on that much. He just wanted to sit there watching her while lost in his thoughts. That's what he liked, thinking about nothing just pondering about life and the world around him. Complete silence. That's what he had grown to appreciate during his decades alone. Even after Sunnydale and his new friends here, he still couldn't forget the silence. And the alone. Even though that's something he really wanted to forget, he couldn't. It had been part of him for far too long.  
What about her? She never really mentioned anything about her. Never brought up any friends or family. Something about her told him that she had been by herself for a long time. Faith. An odd name for a girl like that. Faith. The name of a girl who was always by herself and didn't trust anyone. The sense of irony was humorous. But she still had that light in her that reflected her name. She just didn't like people getting close enough to see it. But he could see it from a distance.  
  
  
  
Faith's eyes slowly began to flutter open. 'Where am I?' In a bed, back at the hotel, her own mind reasoned. How did she get here? All she could hear was a loud pounding of a hang-over and everything from the night before was hazy. She made a soft groaning sound as she tried to sit up.  
  
"I see you're up." Said a deep male voice from close by. She didn't even have to look up to see who the voice belonged to. Angel. 'Great, a guilt trip from mister redemption himself' Faith thought. She didn't need another talk about how she should be careful and how there were a lot of people who would try to hurt her. She already knew that she didn't need a speech about it.  
  
"I'll go make you some coffee and get you some aspirin. With the amount I think that you drank last night, I think you'll need it." He said getting up.  
  
Of course he's right. He always is.....the ass.  
  
What had she done last night though? She remembered going to some downtown club. She was dancing with some guy they were dancing so close together. Then his girlfriend turned up and started screaming at him. Jackass. They were all alike. They say their yours and they have some unsuspecting victim on the side. She was screaming her head off at him and she had decided to leave before she turned to her. The two of them were probably having a make- up cuddle right now then while she was asleep he'd go find someone else. But back to her. She went over to the bar and had and started drinking. Everything started to get hazy after that. How she got home she had no idea, she couldn't even remember how she had got there. Maybe the bartender had called a cab. Suddenly she got a vague memory with her on the stairs with Angel's arm around her. WHAT THE HELL!?! Where did that come from? She remembered leaning into him a nuzzling into his neck. A flash of embarrassment went through her. She had been completely drunk at the time so he wouldn't take it seriously, would he? She wished she could remember what he had done. It was hard to imagine what brooding, stone faced Angel would in a situation like that. No way was she going to bring it up again. The last thing she wanted was Angel to think that she had feelings for him. Just then the door opened and Angel came in with a cup of what looked like coffee.  
  
"Here." He said giving her the cup. She took it from him but didn't drink any. She just stared at the mug. She didn't even have to look up to know that he was still looking at her. She could feel his eyes on her.  
  
"What is it?" she said finally looking up.  
  
He jerked a little. As if breaking out of a momentary trance.  
  
"Nothing Just making sure you were okay." He replied.  
  
"I'm fine." She said in a matter-o-fact kind of tone.  
  
"So...umm...why were you drinking last night." He asked with an obviously uncomfortable sound in his voice.  
  
She almost had to smile at that. He may be a champion but he had a real problem with communicating with people. Wesley had once told her that he wanted to become human and that there was some ancient prophecy that said he one day he would be. Even then he would never be like the other guys. She knew that though she would never say that. It might upset him.  
  
"It just felt like it."  
  
"Are you sure? I mean if there's anything you want to talk about...."  
  
"I said I'm FINE! You don't have to go all deeper meaning on me." She hated giving people information about her, they always ended up using it against her and Angel had a knack for asking personal questions even if he didn't know it.  
  
"Okay." He said with a frown still staring at her.  
  
If you think that you going to get me to crack and tell you my problems like everyone else, then you have got another think coming, she thought.  
  
"I'm going to take a bath." She said, getting up and waking by as quickly as she could with her pounding headache, coffee still in hand.  
  
  
  
WOLFRAM AND HART  
  
"So what do we know about the beast and his new beauty?" Lindsey asked Holland in his office with Lilah sitting next to him.  
  
"We have no idea. We've checked every record we could get our hands on. Were going to have to use supernatural connections instead." He said with that familiar smile on his face.  
  
"What do you mean nothing on her?" Lilah asked. "There was to be some school picture, some job, someone who knows who she is."  
  
Just then there came a buzz on the intercom.  
  
"Sir there are some gentlemen here to see you. Something about Angel and some girl named Faith."  
  
  
  
Angel sat in the lobby with a book in his hands but that's not where his mind was. He didn't understand why Faith just couldn't tell him what went on in her mind. He wanted to help her but her to her it seemed like nothing was wrong. A flash of last night came into his head with his arm around her waist and her leaning into him. If it was possible his face would turn bright red. Thinking about a woman doing that and even slightly enjoying it was not something he had done in a VERY long time. Even he had to admit Faith had a perfectly gorgeous body. Which caused him guilty because he was trying to get her to trust him. This was not the work he was cut out for.  
  
Hey guys! How do you like the story so far? Give me reviews! 


	7. Smiles

Faith leaned back in the warm water of the bathtub and closed her eyes to think. She needed time alone. She really needed to unwind. Her mind did a quick flash back to last night on the stairs. Maybe staying here wasn't the best idea. Well at least here she wouldn't have to stay here and worry about getting thrown out with out warning. Still getting to know men wasn't the best thing for her to do. She didn't have much luck with them so why bother? How long had it been since she had had a relationship that lasted more then a night? Ryan, when she was 16, maybe 17. He used her and left her. She'd been so deluded. She was better now though. She needed to get a job, one other then killing demons and waiting tables. She never went to school so what kind of job she could get she had no idea. There were a few jobs that needed no education but taking her clothes off that often didn't really appeal to her. She was just so bored during the day. At night there were the vampires for about an hour maybe two then there was a whole day of nothing. Nothing to do, no one to talk to, no nothing. Maybe she'd look tomorrow.  
  
  
  
Angel sat in the lobby looking at his book when Cordelia walked in.  
  
"Hey Angel! Came in early to do some filing work. Wow. A book. You? There's a surprise. You really need to think about getting a tv for this place."  
  
"Maybe I'll get one for Faith's room. She seems really bored during the day." Angel replied not looking up.  
  
"You are not seriously going to let the trash whore stay here are you? I'm pretty sure she can handle herself."  
  
Angel felt his blood boil a little when Faith was called a trash whore. Cordy didn't know what she had been through.  
  
"Yes she staying here and she is NOT trash or a whore." Angel said back with a hardness in his voice that surprised her.  
  
"Fine you don't have to get so overprotective." Cordelia said giving him a slight glare. She didn't understand how he could let her stay here. This girl was obviously trouble. How could he not see it?  
  
  
  
About an hour later Faith came down the stairs with fresh clothes on and her headache almost completely gone. She was on her way over to the kitchen when Angel came up behind her.  
  
"Feel better." He said.  
  
Faith turned around immediately surprised that she hadn't noticed him.  
  
"Damn! You think you could make some noise when you walk." She said starting to calm down.  
  
"Sorry just wanted to make sure you were okay." He said moving next to her.  
  
"I'm fine. Just going to get something to eat." She said entering the kitchen.  
  
"You'll probably have to order take out. There's not much here. You want Chinese food?" He said walking toward the phone.  
  
"Sure." She said trying not to look to glad. It had been forever since she had Chinese food and it was her favorite.  
  
Angel walked over to the phone and started dialing the number. He'd seen Faith's half smile and guessed that she like it. He was glad she smiled. She almost never did.  
  
  
  
Wolfram And Hart  
  
"Thank you gentlemen. We'll tell you the second we have her." Said a Mr. Holland as he opened the door to let a group of young men in expensive suits out the office. When they were all out he shut the door tightly behind them.  
  
"So her name is Faith." Said Lindsey still staring at the door..  
  
"And more importantly she's a slayer." Replied Lilah.  
  
"Now our question is how do we use Angel to get to Faith and use Faith to get to Angel?"  
  
  
  
"Where are Gunn and Wesley?" Faith asked. Helping herself to some more noodles.  
  
"Wesley is researching again and Gunn went back to his home neighborhood to help some kids he knows out. It's to bad Cordelia left or you'd have some more company."  
  
"Somehow I don't think I'd like Cordelia's company." Faith replied with a hint of disgust in her voice.  
  
"So I guess no slaying tonight?" He asked.  
  
"No I'm still too tired."  
  
That statement brought Angel back to the reason for his concern earlier. Her drinking. Anything could happen to her in this city, her being drunk would just make it that much easier. He didn't want to ask again so soon and not when she was in such a good mood.  
  
"We can always do that tomorrow."  
  
"How did you become a vampire anyway?"  
  
Angel kept up his face but he flinched a little on the inside. His past was never anything he was really proud, that was including his human one. She already knew his vampire past but she was going to have to hear his human one sooner or later and besides maybe if he did this she'd tell him about herself.  
  
"It was in 1754 when I was 26. I saw some girl in a nearby ally and followed her. It was Darla and she turned me."  
  
"What were you doing following some girl into an alley?"  
  
"I wasn't what you would call an ideal citizen. I was a rich spoiled brat with no respect for anything, zero ambition, and a alcoholic womanizer."  
  
"Guess it's something you don't like to talk about." Faith guessed hearing his tone and starting to wish she hadn't asked.  
  
"It's okay. It's just not something I'm proud of." He said giving a small smile. "My parents weren't exactly proud of me either"  
  
"I know what that's like. My mother never even wanted me." She said playing with her food.  
  
"Faith? You okay?" He asked hearing the quietness in her voice.  
  
"Yeah I'm okay. Just some bad memories." Angel looked at her and knew her mother was a large source of pain for her. He decided not to push it for now.  
  
"How do like it here?" Angel asked out of the blue. He knew that she didn't like where she use to be but maybe she liked where she was now.  
  
"It's okay. Better then some of the places I've stayed. And you guys are nice, I'm still not used to having the same people around all the time."  
  
"Yeah. But you get used to it." He said giving her a smile. She smiled back.  
  
Hey guys how do like this new chapter? I love suggestions! And thanks for the reviews. 


	8. A Worried Look

Gunn was walking toward the front door to leave when he walked by Faith's room and saw the door was open. Faith was sitting on the bed listening to music pounding from a pair of headphones and flipping threw pages of a magazine in front of her. He smiled and walked over to her and tapped her shoulder to get her attention. Faith immediately looked up and took off the headphones.  
  
"Hey baby girl, what's up?" he asked with a smile. Faith my have been one of the best looking women he had ever seen but he could never think of her that way. She was so much like a sister, his sister, the one he had loved so dearly and lost. Faith had never had family and saw him as her brother. There was something in the two of them that made them click like that perfectly.  
  
"Nothing. Bored out of my mind. Every time I try to leave the building Angel starts to hover like a bee." Said Angel with a slight look of annoyance on her face.  
  
Gunn smiled. Angel's near obsession of the pretty dark young slayer was between a thin line of hilarious and disturbing. Angel was just protective and some where along his life of 250 years he forgot how to deal with people. He was always too distant or to close. Which made it even harder for Faith considering in her 18 years she didn't know how to handle people and their emotions. They were so much a like and didn't even realize it.  
  
"He's like that." Simple words for the complex understanding of what was behind them.  
  
"So what are you doing tonight? Going out with friends?"  
  
"No just walking around."  
  
"Want to stay here and talk?" Faith said.  
  
"Sure."  
  
  
  
Angel was 'listening' to Cordelia. {If you could really call it listening} he had seen Gunn go into Faith's room and he had been in there for at least an hour and a half. What the HELL were they doing in there? They talked a lot but Faith NEVER talked for more then ten minutes to ANYone.  
  
"Angel? Angel! Are you even listening to me?!?" Cordelia said in an angry voice.  
  
"What? Oh, sorry. I was just...."  
  
"I swear I don't know why I bother. You don't actually listen to anyone anyway. You just sit there in your own little world." She said walking away.  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
Angel turned around right away to see Gunn standing at the bottom of the stairs staring after Cordelia.  
  
"Oh nothing. You know."  
  
"Well I'm going out. See ya later!" he said walking out.  
  
"Bye."  
  
TELL ME WHAT YOU WERE DOING!!!! He screamed in his own mind. I should go check on Faith. He thought heading toward the stairs.  
  
  
  
Faith was once again alone in her room. Having someone around that was like a brother was nice. She always wanted siblings when she was younger. Her mother would have sooner killed herself then had another child.  
  
Suddenly with out warning the door quickly opened and Angel walked in. He just stared at her for a second.  
  
"What is it?" Faith said to break the silence.  
  
"Nothing. Just making sure your okay."  
  
"You know Angel my head isn't going to be blown off the second your away from me." The moment she had said that a loud bang burst a window next to her. Angel grabbed her and pulled her into him immediately. They could hear yelling outside and more shots but from the noise it was obvious that they weren't directed at the building. Cars screeched and drove away. For a minute it almost sounded like a gang fight, but in this neighborhood?  
  
"Angel? You can let go of me now."  
  
He looked down to see himself still holding Faith close to his body. He let her go. But kept staring at her.  
  
"I thought you said this was a safe neighborhood." Faith stated looking at the window. "It is." He said standing next to her. He looked out the window. There was nothing out there. Except for the glass on the floor there was no indication of anything happening at all.  
  
Faith felt how close Angel was to her and moved away a little.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked her when he felt her move away from him.  
  
"Yeah, five by five."  
  
She had a bad feeling about this even thought she had no idea why. Nothing had happened and they were both okay. But still...  
  
"Faith? Come on let's get out of this room." He said looking at the glass on the floor.  
  
  
  
Wolfram and Hart  
  
"So we got what we needed?" asked Lindsey looking at Lilah.  
  
"No I just said we did to screw with you." She said with a glare.  
  
"Wouldn't put it past you. Where is he?"  
  
"In the medical department." She said.  
  
"Then everything is in place."  
  
  
  
"I'll clean up the glass in the mourning. You'll have to stay in another room for tonight."  
  
"I'll be fine down here. Don't worry about me." Faith said looking around.  
  
"You sure your okay? You look a little shaken."  
  
"I told you I'm FINE, stop asking."  
  
He would usually back of a while before asking again but the fact that she had almost gotten her brains blown out in front of him put him completely on the edge. He just looked at her for a moment.  
  
"Aren't you going to bed." Faith said more as a statement then a question.  
  
"No I'm going to stay up for a while. You?"  
  
"I can't sleep. I'll just find something to do."  
  
Like it? I'm not really sure I like this chapter much, I wrote it kinda quick 


	9. Thoughts Yet Again

"Faith?" Angle said looking at her. She was sitting on the couch but she looked as though she was going to fall over any minute. "You should go to bed, you look tried."  
  
"I can't. Me room is full of glass and every time I sleep on the couch I wake up sore."  
  
"Oh..." Angel had to think a moment about his next words before saying them, had it been anyone else he wouldn't have hesitated, but this was Faith.  
  
"You can sleep in my room if you want." He said only half looking at her.  
  
"Your room? Where will you sleep?" she giving him a look of surprise, suspicion and a look of anger that he could not place and had no idea why it was there.  
  
"I'm not tired. I don't usually sleep at night anyway. Go ahead." He said walking out of the room still feeling Faith's suspicious stare at the back of his head.  
  
  
  
Faith walked into Angel's room and shut the door behind her. In a building with this many rooms you'd think that more then two of them would have been restored by now. She looked around. It looked just like it had that time she had woken up here, confused as to where she was. It was dark in a very elegant kind of way, all of the furniture was covered with, or made of silk, satin, or a very fine velvet. She sat down on the bed. 'I can't sleep here.' She thought to her self. It would be weird, sleeping in a friend's bed. Friend. Yes that's what she had finally admitted to herself, he was her friend. Not the same kind of friendship she had with Wesley or Gunn but it was there. She got under the covers and put her head on the pillow. She tried to close her eyes and sleep. She couldn't. The whole bed was covered with his sent that would always only belong to him. It was too weird, like she was sleeping next to him. She sat up. She wanted to leave but wouldn't. She didn't want him to think his presence made him uncomfortable. With other people, other men it wouldn't have been a big deal, but Angel was different. He saw himself as a monster. No matter what good he did to him he was a monster. And every time she tried to get away, thought that he was to close, or just needed her space, he never thought it was because the real reason, which was that a commitment to another living thing, letting people know her terrified her. He always thought it was because she was afraid of him, because he killed so many innocent people and it disgusted her. She never saw that in Angel.  
Angel made her the most nervous, because she wanted to be near him. She liked talking to him not just some of the time, but all of the time. He tried to make her feel safe and happy. And every time he did that she wanted to run away.  
Her thoughts went back to Ryan as they had earlier when she was taking her bath. He was the last person who tried to make her that way. She'd been working as a waitress and he had come in that restaurant after a day of school at the city's University. They had started talking and she fell for him immediately. He had done all the things Angel was doing. Let her live in his apartment made her happy. He even started buying things for her. Necklaces, bracelets, sometimes earrings. She loved him so much. He was the first person in her entire life who had ever bothered to care about her. They started sleeping together and for the first time in her life she was completely happy. She was in love and thought he felt the same. That was before she had found out he had a woman he was engaged to out west and had been planning on dumping her before before school was over. He never loved her. She left before he could tell her. She had actually left a note thinking maybe he did care and would come after her. Of course he didn't. She stayed for a week before she left. She cried for days. There was no way in hell she was letting that happen again. Ever.  
  
  
  
Angel was in his office sitting alone. In the dark. Again. Thinking about Faith. Again. He couldn't understand her. Why did she get so angry? If he knew what he was doing he would stop it but it seemed to be something new every single time. He'd make breakfast for her, she'd run out of the building. He'd try to give her extra money for shopping and she'd start screaming at him. And getting in a fight with Faith was not a good idea, so he just let it alone. Faith had only been a slayer for a few weeks, but the way she fought, her movements, the power she put behind them. It was amazing and sometimes terrifying to watch. She even seemed to match the darkness she fought in and seemed to fade in and out of it. They way her body moved was extraordinary. But it wasn't just when fighting. Sometimes he would just sit and watch her. His behavior sometimes scared him. And he had a feeling the others were noticing. Cordeila had been talking on the phone earlier to Sunnydale. He then got a call from Giles later about his 'concerns of attachment to this new slayer.' Apparently Buffy had gotten wind of it and was asking questions too. Why couldn't she ever mind her own business? The world didn't evolve around her. Besides they were all being ridiculous. He and Faith weren't meant for each other. Right? He started heading towards his bedroom to make sure she had fallen asleep. Sometimes he would check on her while she was asleep. Most of the time she would roll uncomfortably in her sleep and make small whimpers and slight crys. He knew she had nightmares often. He always wondered what they were. The same one over and over again. Or different ones every night like he had had and still had on occasion. But he seriously doubted that Faith had dreams about the screams of her terrified and murdered victims.  
He opened the door quietly but quickly. He looked in to see Faith sound asleep with a small smile on her face and cuddling deeper into the pillows and mattress. He smiled. She was fine. She had the appearance of a sleeping kitten, angel, and goddess rolled in one. And once again he got that same feeling that over took him completely when ever he looked at her. She made him happy. She was the one person he always wanted to be with no matter what happened. He could already feel that. She was special and precious to him. If ANY one besides his close friends found out about this, Faith would be in more danger then any kind of danger she could get in as a 'normal' slayer. And it would be all his fault.  
  
  
  
Faith had put on some pj's and then went back to Angel's room to fall asleep. The bed was very soft and after a few minutes the sent that made her nervous before became slightly addicting and cuddled deeper into the covers. She was glad she slept instead of staying awake. It had been one of those rare nights when nightmares of her childhood plagued every second of her sleep. They had been pleasant dreams. She could only remember them vaguely but they were warm and bright. There had been someone there with her though. Some one who made it better. But who was it?  
Her eyes fluttered open slowly. The was some light coming through a nearby window. Not enough to kill a vampire but enough to warm the entire room slightly. It would have been a good time to get up but she wanted to rest for a minute longer and kept her head on the pillow and close her eyes when she heard the door quickly open.  
  
"Angel! You in here? I was looking for you down stairs. I couldn't find you so-"  
  
Faith looked over and looked directly into Cordelia's beautiful and suddenly cold eyes.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!?!?! And in his bed no less! Did you sleep with him!?! Was that it? He's evil now. That was your whole plan!!"  
  
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!!" Faith said getting up screaming back at her. How could she think that? No that shouldn't surprise you, she thought to herself. Everyone was thinking the same thing. That she was just here to hurt them. That she was a whore. That's why Angel kept checking up her wasn't it? To make sure she wasn't doing anything wrong.  
  
Just then Angel walked in obviously hearing the yelling.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked looking between the two.  
  
Cordeila spun around to glare at him.  
  
"Did you sleep with her?"  
  
"What?" Angel said still not grasping what was going on around him.  
  
"No. Okay Cordeila. No. And I like to point out that people who live in glass WHORE houses shouldn't throw stones!!" "Oh! Whore? I don't sleep with every single man who gives me attention! How many men have you slept with Faith? Come on let's hear it!"  
  
"Stop it." Angel stated not liking where this conversation was going at all.  
  
"Don't bother! Staying here was a serious mistake. I'll leave." She said walking out of the room.  
  
Angel felt his gut do back flips. There was NO way she could leave. They needed her. HE needed her. He had to make her stay. But first he had to clam down the fuming Cordeila.  
  
"Cordeila! How could you say those things to her?"  
  
"Walking in here that was the only thing I could think of. I've seen the way you look at her Angel. She's your addiction! Normally I wouldn't care but one wrong move and you lose your soul and become a monster and not only will you kill Faith and every other person you care about but you will be damning yourself. And I am not going to let all of that happen to you or anyone else."  
  
"Cordeila, I don't...Faith...I'm not.."  
  
"No not yet but your on your way even if you don't want to admit it to yourself. Just be...careful." She let out a deep sigh. "Look I should go find Wesley. I said I'd meet him for breakfast. I came here to ask you to come but you have other things to take care of." She turned and walked out of the room leaving Angel all by himself.  
  
  
  
Faith was in her room putting some clothes in a bag still being careful not to step on the glass that was still spread out all over the floor. Why stay? If they all thought she was going to do something stupid. No one was going to go after her anyway. Even if she wanted them to.  
  
"Faith! Faith wait! You can't just go!" he said half running in the room paying no attention to the glass on the floor.  
  
"Why not? None of you trust me enough to the oint where you'd all actually think that I'd be willing to fuck you to set lose a homicidal killer!" she said more angry at him then anyone else.  
  
"No we don't! Faith please? I trust you. I want you to stay. Besides we need you here and Wesley still has to train you. And you're my, our friend. We'd miss you to much. Please stay."  
  
She looked at him. She wanted to run away from him all over again. She would stay. For a little while longer. She'd miss these people to much. Even Cordeila. They fought all the time but there was still that fondness there.  
  
"Fine." She said quietly. "I'll stay."  
  
Angel felt his muscles relax. She was staying. She'd be safe. For now....  
  
  
  
Sorry it's been so long but now that schools FINALLY over I can write much more. How do like this chapter? I tried to get them to show more of there feelings without it being to sudden. What do you think? I love reviews! 


	10. A Necklace From Hell

Faith sat in her room. Alone. She had agreed to stay just two days ago and since then she hadn't really talked to Angel. She wasn't avoiding him; she just didn't want to be around him. She spent most of her time talking to Wesley or training with him, and going out with Gunn to slay. It was quiet and that's the way she liked it on occasion. Her birthday was supposed to be somewhere around this time, but she didn't know when. No one had ever told her the actual date. That fact bothered her every once and a while. She had grown up running to the park to get away from her drunken mother and her boyfriends. She would sit there by herself most of the time, every once in a while a grown up would come and ask where her parents were. She like the park. It was eight blocks away from her home in a nicer neighborhood. People were always happy and smiling. The kids her age would play with toys and each other. She used to wonder why her home wasn't like that. Why couldn't mother hug and kiss her like that. As she got older she stopped wondering and started to accept it. She didn't know much about her mother. Where she'd grown up. Who her family was. All those question usually ended in a beating. She had told Wesley that she didn't know her birthday the other day. He got a miserable look on his face. In wasn't one of pity as you might think but more one of sorrow which she could more accept. She hoped he wouldn't tell Angel who she already knew would make a huge deal about the whole. She didn't' want that. She just wanted to go on like she always did. No special treatment. That always ended badly. She got up and began to yet again walk down the large stair case that lead to the lobby of the once hotel. She saw Angel sitting on a nearby couch. Reading ANOTHER book with coffee on the table in front of him. He must have heard her foot steps because eh suddenly looked up.  
  
"Faith. I was wondering where you were. I kind of wanted to... talk about-"  
  
"Angel you really don't' need to do that. I'm fine really."  
  
"Okay." He said a little quietly. "Oh! Here."  
  
He took out a box from a nearby drawer. It was simple looking. They kind you get in department stores after buying jewelry. He handed it to her. She looked at it in her hands and then looked back at him as if she had no idea what he wanted her to do.  
  
"Go ahead. Open it." He said looking at her.  
  
She looked down at the box and slowly took of the cover. In side was a silver necklace with a moon pendant on it and matching sterling silver earrings. She looked at him.  
  
"Do you like it?"  
  
Two Years Earlier  
  
"Do you like it?" asked Ryan looking at her. She stared down at the new and expensive necklace in her hands. He had invited her to live with a week earlier. He never made her do anything she didn't want to do. It was moving slow, and they weren't sleeping together yet, but she liked and appreciated it.  
  
"It's beautiful! I can't believe you bought this for me!" she was incredibly happy. No one had ever gotten her anything like this before. He must really love her.  
  
Present  
  
"What?" she said quietly.  
  
"I said do you like it."  
  
She looked at him "Why did you give this to me?" she asked. What he want with her, why was he doing this?  
  
"Umm It's a birthday present from me and the others." He said getting nervous. The way she looked him he felt that he might as well shot her. Didn't she like it? What was wrong?  
  
"Oh. Thank you." She said. "I....I have to go." To his surprise she actually ran out the door.  
  
"Faith? Faith!" He started after her but couldn't follow her into the bright sunlight. What was wrong? It wasn't that she didn't like the present. You don't run out of a building like that because you got a present that you didn't like. She seemed more terrified then anything else. He didn't get it. Or any thing about her for that matter.  
Was it just a bad memory? He wished he knew. He had only gotten a vague description of Faith's past from various comments that she would let slip out every now and then. Cordeila's words came back to him. 'I've seen the way you look at her' what look? He didn't look at her any different then he looked at anyone else. He cared about Faith but he didn't feel that way about her. He had experienced love before and didn't feel like this. And all love was the same right? But back to why she was terrified. He wished she would just tell him. He was her friend. Maybe they weren't as close as she was to Gunn or Wesley but he liked to think that he was a slight importance in her life. She did mean a lot to him. When he looked at her and saw her with those dark eyes it was like being some where else.  
  
  
  
Faith had run a good five minuets before she slowed down and stopped. Suddenly she felt stupid. Angel wasn't Ryan. He wasn't going to do that. He didn't even show any real interest in her. Besides he didn't give her that necklace and those earrings because he wanted something because he wanted some from HER, did he? Sometimes she would feel him staring at her. Why did he watch her like that? At first she thought it was because he was over protective, then she thought it was because he thought she was going to do something wrong, something to hurt him or his friends. But now she had no idea. Was he attracted to her? For some reason that idea made her more happy then scared. The same as it had with Ryan, and that was love. She as just his toy. She wasn't going to be like that again. Be used then thrown away. Maybe she was just being paranoid. There was no reason for him to be attracted to her. She'd seen his last girlfriend, well in a picture any way. She wasn't anything like her. They were complete opposites. And he was her friend after all. He knew more about her then anyone else did. She still wasn't sure how he did it. How he got her to open. Maybe because he opened up to her like she did to him. He was her friend. That's why he bought her that gift, because he was her friend. She walked on looking at the city around her. She needed a break and she didn't want to go back home yet. It would be way to embarrassing. Angel would be there, waiting for her, wanting to why she left. And she would either have to tell him a lie that he would see right threw or the truth and have him think she was a complete idiot. Neither of those options sounded very appealing. She'd just stay out for a while. She would go back when she was ready.  
  
  
  
Six hours. She had run out six hours ago and hadn't come back. Where was she? Was she hurt? He went to Wesley to see if he had talked to her. Often when she didn't come home she'd call Wesley and tell him where she was. They were very much what a watcher and slayer should be. He walked in to the small office to see Wesley sitting at a desk reading the paper.  
  
"Oh. Hello Angel." He said casually looking up.  
  
"Hi." He just stood there leaning against the door frame staring at him.  
  
Wesley looked up again. "Is there something you need?" his said, voice turning more in to concern. "You don't look so well."  
  
"Huh? No. Well not really. Did....Faith...call you, at anytime today?" He said trying not to show his worry.  
  
"No. Why? Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know she.....left earlier and I was wondering if you saw her, that's all." He wasn't sure why Faith had run. And if the reason was personal he didn't want everyone to start asking questions about it and have her blame him for it and get angry.  
  
"I see...." Wesley just by looking at Angel could tell that he wasn't telling him the whole truth. He wondered to himself what was really wrong. Had he scared her off? He wouldn't be surprised if he had. Faith hated people getting close to her, getting to know, protecting her. And Angel understood that but never really considered it when making his actions toward her. He wanted to be near her. He liked more and more everyday, even if he himself didn't notice it. Maybe he just refused to and wanted to keep his denial.  
  
"Well.....If she calls.... can you tell me?"  
  
"Well I'll have to call you. My car isn't working and I have to leave now to get home on time. I'm supposed to meet Claire for a date.  
  
He started up the stairs towards his room, it had been a long day and he needed his rest. He now regretted ever buying Faith those gifts. He'd been talking to Wesley the other day and he had told him what Faith had said about her birthday. He thought it was wrong that no one ever celebrated it so he went out and got her the jewelry. Which he guessed blew up in his face. He still wasn't entirely sure what happened. He could go in the city to look for her but if there was one thing that he had learned about Faith it was that if she didn't want to be found she wasn't going to be found. He let out a sigh and walked into his bedroom closing the door behind him. He took off his shirt and went under the covers of his bed. The last time Faith slept in it was two days ago. But her sent still lingered there and seemed to engulf it completely. He loved that smell. Like red roses, the smell of fresh air and life. He loved to lapse himself deep within the covers. That sent of life he had so long forgotten. But that's what Faith was in a sense. Life. In it's most raw form. He heard a sudden boom from outside. He looked out the nearest window that as of right not wasn't closed. The rain had begun to pour down and the sounds and sights of lighting and thunder consumed the sky.  
  
  
  
Faith looked around at the deserted streets. The rain pounded down on her body. All she was wearing was a sleeveless bright red t-shirt, a pair of simple blue jeans, and some sandals and the rain was freezing cold. She could actually begin to feel parts of her body going from cold to numb. She wanted to go back home and sleep in a warm bed. She had to get there. After about 15 minuets of wondering around she found her way back to the hotel. She walked in the lobby to find that all the lights had been turned off. Every one had either left or gone a sleep. She started to walk up the stairs and as she did she could feel herself begin to wobble. Everything was so dizzy and hot but at the same time she was freezing. She wondered into a hallway. She must have covered every inch of the old building in her past boredom but for the life of her she could not recognize this hallway. She saw a room with light coming from a crack from under the door. She stumbled to it and opened what to her seemed like a ridiculously heavy door. She saw Angel sitting shirtless in a large bed reading a book with the lamp next to him turned on. He looked up at her.  
  
"Faith? Where have you been?" He said now getting out of the bed. He looked at her a little surprised. She stood in front of him shaking from the cold and soaking wet. She looked beautiful; even he had to admit this. He had the instinct to hold her. She looked so helpless like that.  
  
"Angel." She gave out a sad giggle. "This isn't my room." To her everything was spinning and going dark.  
  
To Angel's horror she closed her eyes and fell to the ground. He ran over to her and tried to pick her up.  
  
"Faith?! FAITH!? Wake up!" He felt her forehead. She may be cold but she was burning with a fever! Angel picked her up and put her in his bed. He needed to call some one.  
  
He picked up the phone and called Wesley's number.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Wesley! It's Faith! I-I'm mean it's Angel but Faith is here and she is sick! A fever or something, and I-I don't know what to do Wesley. You have to get over here!"  
  
"Angel I can't. I could never walk there in this weather and my car isn't working remember? You'll have to take care of her until the weather dies down." He said.  
  
"What?!? I don't know what to so!"  
  
"Didn't you ever have to take care of some one who is sick before?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then just do that!"  
  
"But she's soaking wet. How am I supposed to get her dry?"  
  
"Just change have her change her clothes."  
  
"But....But she's passed out!"  
  
"What?.....Angel....you....what....."  
  
Then there was quiet. 'Great' Angel thought to himself. 'The line is dead. He looked at Faith. She moaning in pain lightly in her sleep her wet clothes still sticking to her.  
  
'Great, yeah. I have to get her out of her clothes. She screams at me when I give her money. There is no way she is going let me live till the end of the week.  
  
  
  
Wolfram and Hart  
  
"So are we ready to begin." Lilah said looking at the man in front of her.  
  
"Of course we are. I've been looking for her for years. There is no way I'm backing out now."  
  
So how do you guys like it? I'm pretty sure Claire is the name of the red head Wesley was dating in season two. Give me suggestions. 


	11. Bed Talk

Hey everyone! I've been getting some e-mails about my other story, A Purpose and Meaning and why I haven't updated it in a while. For some reason that page on my computer is frozen. It's happened before but it takes a day or two to fix so it might be a week before I can update that one. Thanks for the reviews and the e-mails!  
  
Everything was spinning. It was so hot. Why was it so hot? There was someone there. Was there? Talking loud scared. A phone? A phone? It was a phone.....why was it so hard just too...think. Sick. I'm sick. I'm sticky and hot. I'm sick. Who was that? Why were they talking so loud?  
  
  
  
Angel looked down at Faith. She was still wet. She seemed to be mumbling something in her sleep.  
  
"Faith? Faith. Listen to me. You're sick. I don't know if you can understand me but you have to change out of your clothes. Can you do that for me? Faith?" Angel said looking at her but it was useless she couldn't understand him and he knew.  
  
"Angel?" she asked quietly. He looked at her. Could she understand him?  
  
"Faith?" he asked quietly. "Can you understand me?"  
  
"It's so warm and cold." She said in a half whimper. It was obvious to them both that she wasn't getting better anytime in the next hour. She'd be in bed for a while.  
  
?  
  
In another 10 minuets Faith had changed into one of Angel's shirts which she with her size swam in. She was back in Angel's bed asleep for now. Her fever however still hadn't broken and it kept going from better to worse. In seemed that it would go down but then just rise all over again to its old height. Angel sat in a chair next o her the whole time. He tried to cool her off. At times he could do that just by putting his hand on her forehead. His own blood hadn't run in 200 years, his skin was always cold.  
  
"Mmmmmm...." Faith began to open her eyes. "Ryan. You're so cold...."  
  
Angel looked down at her a little surprised. Ryan? Who was Ryan?  
  
"You came after me. Did you?" She sat up a little shaken. She reached out toward him like she wanted to hug him but fell a little.  
  
"Faith. Listen, you need to go back to sleep." He said trying to get her lie down completely.  
  
"Ryan. Don't leave again." To his surprise she actually rapped her arms around him. She was so soft.  
  
"Faith don't." He said getting back up. He was thirsty, and to the demon in him the blood of a defenseless slayer sounded very appealing. Faith. He told her, promised her that he wouldn't going to hurt her the day they meet. He wasn't going back on his word the ONE time she couldn't protect herself. She moaned unhappily but went back to sleep. He looked down at her. Who the hell was Ryan? She'd never mentioned that name before he was sure. She didn't talk about herself much and he remembered most of the things she said.  
  
  
  
Faith woke up the next morning. It was still cloudy but it was morning she could tell. She head hurt and she was still dizzy but she knew she had gotten much better from last night. She heard the door open and looked over to see Angel walk in with a tray of food. He looked up and let their eyes meet. He looked incredibly nervous.  
  
"Morning Faith." He said simply. "I.....made you breakfast." He went over and put the tray of food on the night stand next to her. "I'm glad you look better." He said staring at her. Still that strange look on his face. She kept staring at him.  
  
"What is it?" she said her voice still soft.  
  
"N-Nothing just, happy to see you." He said trying to keep up hi infamous poker face, but he couldn't hide the questioning look his eyes had.  
  
"Will you just tell me already?!" she hated it when she knew he was keeping something from her.  
  
"Okay. Uh, whose-"just then the phone began to ring. Angel let out a sigh and picked up the phone. Every time he tried to talk to Faith something always interrupted.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Angel? It's me. Is every thing alright?" came Wesley's voice from the other end of the phone.  
  
"Yeah. Faith's fever is gone and she's getting better." Said Angel as he watched Faith begin to eat her food.  
  
"Good, the roads are still closed because of all the clutter on the roads and I have to go see Claire but I'll be over as soon as I can."  
  
"Alright. Good-bye"  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Who was that?" asked Faith looking up at him.  
  
"Just Wesley, he wanted to know if you were alright." He said once more sitting in the chair besides the bed.  
  
"Oh." She said putting and food back on the nightstand next to her.  
  
"What happened to my clothes?" she asked as she looked down to see that she was now wearing a large shirt that on her reached mid-thigh.  
  
"You were soaking wet last night so I gave you one of my t-shirts to change into." He said.  
  
"Who's Ryan?" he asked a little off hand. The second he said it he regretted in. The look on her face was full of hurt, confusion, shock, and pain. He wished he never asked.  
  
"What did you say?" her voice was quiet and very unlike her.  
  
"No-Nothing just last night you kept calling me Ryan." He said avoiding her look. But he didn't have to. She was staring out in front of her like she was deep in thought. Her whole body took on a slight stillness that he didn't like. Something about that name brought up things she obviously didn't want to remember.  
  
"If there is anything you want to talk about Faith I'm always here to listen." He said starring at her yet again.  
  
"No. There's nothing I want to talk about." She said quickly. Starting to get up. But she was still too dizzy and tiered.  
  
"Are you okay?" Angel asked leaning towards her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." She said.  
  
"I think you should tell me what's wrong." He said steadily.  
  
"Nothing's wrong Angel!"  
  
"Yes there is. I can see it when I look at you. Faith your one of, or maybe THE closest friend I have. You can tell me anything. I care about you, and I will no matter what happens or happened. The same you'd do for me."  
  
"Angel, there is nothing I want to tell you. Now can you drop it?" She said glaring at him.  
  
'Fine' he thought to himself. If she isn't going to tell me I can wait until she will and she will tell me, I can see it when I look at her.  
  
"Fine." He said. "Do you just want to stay here for awhile?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Here in bed. You still seem a little dizzy."  
  
"Sure."  
  
Faith rolled over on to her side facing him.  
  
"What are you doing today hot stuff?" she said in a half joking half seductive.  
  
"Stay here, there are some old texts that I want to review." Angel said not really getting it.  
  
"Your just a big ball of adventure aren't ya?" She said beginning to smile.  
  
"I've had enough adventure in my life, thanks." He said smiling back.  
  
"Just because you're on your big 'redemption' kick but that doesn't mean that you still can't have some fun." Faith said leaning toward him.  
  
Angel smiled. "And what kind of fun do you suggest that I have."  
  
"How about you go dancing with me."  
  
Angel almost laughed out loud. "I don't dance."  
  
"I could teach ya." She said starting laugh herself.  
  
"Maybe sometime." He said out loud. He knew there was no way that she was EVER going to get him to go dancing but it was fun to laugh about now. He moved and sat down next to her on the bed.  
  
"Thank you for the gift. Sorry I ran out earlier." She said quietly leaning slightly against him.  
  
"Our welcome." He said quietly back to her, glad that they were close and weren't yelling at each other for a change.  
  
"No really, no ones ever done that for me before. Thanks." She said starring off.  
  
"I care about you Faith. You're my friend" There was a slight pause.  
  
"I wish I could remember anything about last night. I remember being in the streets then waking up here."  
  
"I guess you were trying to get to your room when you walked into mine. You walked through the door and passed out. Don't scare me like that again."  
  
"Okay. I wont." She said smiling and starting to fall asleep.  
  
  
  
"Well how goes the watching?" said Lindsey as he walked into a small room in a building across the street from a large hotel.  
  
"Don't know. The other day are own rouge slayer ran out of the building like it was on fire, then she comes back HOURS later, soaking wet from the rain, then goes inside.  
  
"Isn't there anyway we could get a camera inside the hotel?"  
  
"We could, if these people would ever leave. There here 24/7."  
  
"Great." He said sarcastically.  
  
"So how goes the operation?" asked the man at the desk.  
  
"Now that we've got our little friend everything's perfect."  
  
  
  
Angel's eyes slowly began to open as he looked at his surroundings. Faith was still leaning against him and they were both in his room still in his bed. They must have fallen asleep while they were talking. He thought about waking her up but when he looked at her in a perfectly calm sleep {for once} he couldn't do it. He always loved the way she looked when she was sleeping. Who was Ryan? That question kept reading over and over again in his head. Did it matter? You wouldn't want her asking about all the people form her past. Victims or otherwise. Darla, Drusilla, Spike. Before he had gotten his soul they were his family. Well technically if you speaking of 'blood' relatives they still were his family. He gave a small laugh. If you had told him 153 years ago that he would one day be friends with a defenseless slayer that he was training AND protecting he would half laughed in your face THEN ripped your throat open. He could still remember after he had first gotten his soul. He would have done anything to get it out of him, at times he still felt like that. But not since he meet Faith. He didn't want to just abandon her. True she had the others but he would miss her. Miss this. There talking, there fighting. It was what he lived on. Human. He wondered often if the prophecy was true and if it was, how soon? How soon would he become human? Would it be in another life time? When all of the people he cared about bones had turned to dust? He hoped it was soon. He didn't want to watch his friends fade form him......  
  
So how do you guys like it? The way this story is going it's gonna be WAY longer then I had planned it to be. 


	12. Sweet Sorrow & Confusion

Angel....Angel.....ANGEL!?!?!?! At the screech of his name his eyes snapped open. Only were they open? He was standing. On what? Everything around him was full of mist. Whose voice was that? Suddenly two people appeared in front of him. It was those two from the powers that be, the ones with silver and green skin, {he never really got that}  
  
"I thought you two were dead."  
  
"It is lovely to see you again too." Said the female one.  
  
"So.....where am I?"  
  
"That is of no importance. What is of importance is that you are a step closer to your goal."  
  
"My goal?"  
  
"Of being human, remember?"  
  
"Wait, what?"  
  
"Faith. You took her in, you and your friends protect and train her and she will help a great deal of people and you are the reason she started on this path. Of that you have gain more of your humanity."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It's time for you to go."  
  
"WAIT!!!"  
  
  
  
Angel's eyes shot open. He looked around. He must have fallen asleep again. Faith was still sound asleep next to him, however she had moved away a little so now he could move with out waking her. He got up and went to the other side of the bed.  
  
"Faith. Faith, time to get up. Come on." He said shaking her gently.  
  
"Mmmmmmmm." Faith whined in her sleep and turned over.  
  
"Come on Faith. You've been asleep long enough. Wake up."  
  
She very slowly began to open her eyes. But remained in her position.  
  
"Fine I'll get up in a minuet. Just let me rest a little."  
  
Angel sighed and walked away. There was no way he was going to get Faith to move if she didn't want to, he already knew that. Instead he just walked into the bathroom and started to undress and turned on the shower.  
  
  
  
Faith just lay in the bed letting her mind wander. She remembered waking up twice in the middle of the night. The first time she had been shocked to find herself asleep next to Angel but stayed and when back to sleep. The second time she had had a dream where everyone left her, after that she went even closer in to him. She liked the closeness. She wasn't used to it but she liked. Being next to someone that she knew wasn't going to hurt her made everything seem safe. She heard the shower start and got up and walked out of the room. She was hungry again. She didn't know if it was a slayer thing or what but the first thing in the morning she was starving. Still she had that feeling in her gut that made everything seem wrong. Ryan. The only way Angel could have known anything about him is if she had said something, obviously when she was sick the other night. But what did she say? She couldn't remember. She remembered grabbing him or hugging or something but everything else was vague. If she knew what she said she could tell him something else. Not the truth. Not that she was stupid enough to believe every single thing that that bastard had said. No way. She could keep that from him, even if it was the only thing. She wasn't going to tell anyone.  
  
  
  
It was about 2 hours after they had woken up and they were once again in the hotel lobby. The only two in the entire building. Faith had kept her promise and tried to teach an unwilling Angel how to dance. After 20 min. they had given up completely and sat joking on the couch.  
  
"I told I couldn't do any modern dances."  
  
Faith let out a long laugh. "You weren't kidding. Could you ever dance?"  
  
"Yes." He said smiling  
  
"When was this?" she asked with general interest.  
  
"In the 17 and 18 hundreds. To what is now classical music."  
  
"And what was that like?"  
  
"Here I'll show you." He said pushing a few buttons on the stereo and grabbing Faith's hand. He put an arm around her waist and she put her hand on his shoulder. After a while they were both doing the steps perfectly. They both smiled. There closeness was different but safe and wonderful at the same time. Neither would admit it but they liked eachothers touch. They were friends so it was okay. This is what friends did, right?  
  
  
  
The sun was warm and beating down in the park as Faith walked through it. She decided to go out for launch and bring something back. Walk around long enough anywhere in L.A and you'll find something to eat. She smiled. The longest she usually stayed in one city was a max of four weeks. But now she'd found a place to stay, people who were her family. Everything was so much brighter. Everything was better. There was still that cloud of doubt in her mind but things couldn't be better to her. She walked happily down the path and smiled at people who walked by, they smiled back. She looked behind her back to see a vendor selling something warm. Suddenly her heart stopped in her chest. There was no way possible. It was Ryan. He was standing there talking to a man next to him who was wearing a well tailored suit. She turned her head around and slowly began walking forward away from the scene behind her. No. This couldn't be happing. Ryan.....Ryan lived on the other side of the country. He couldn't be here. Not now. Not when everything was perfect. Not when she was happy. RELAX!! Your over reacting, even if that WAS Ryan, this is a huge city. The odds of us running into each other once was incredible. No way she was going to run into him again. No way. No way. No way. No way. No way. No way. This couldn't be happening.  
  
  
  
Angel sat in the lobby. He could hear Wesley and Cordeila arguing in a back room. It would drive most people crazy but to him it had become almost soothing. Still there was that dream. A step closer to humanity. What the hell was that supposed to mean? What had happened to him? Was he any different? HE wanted to know. Why could they just tell him? Maybe he wasn't different at all; he was just closer to his 'goal' as they put it. He just wished he knew. Just then he heard the door open slowly he looked over to see Faith gently closing the door behind her. She had her arms around herself like she was trying to protect herself. He didn't like the look on her face. He stood up and walked over to her. She didn't notice.  
  
"Hey Faith. You okay? You look a little-"  
  
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired." She said giving him a weak smile.  
  
Just a little tired? She had gotten a least 10 hours of sleep lat night and she slept in most days. He could tell by looking at her that something was seriously wrong. Why couldn't she just tell him what was bothering her? He would do that for her. He thought a minuet. She had been in a good mood when she left this morning. Something must have happened to her while she was out. But what? It was daylight, she didn't look like she had been in a fight. She hadn't been in a bar or anything, there was none of that sent on her. Faith. What's wrong?  
  
  
  
Faith sat on her bed in her room. She still didn't understand what was going on. How could this be happening? Why was here? Why now? Why when she was happy? She heard a quiet knock on the door. She couldn't see them or hear them but she already knew exactly who it was. Who was always there no matter what happened. How did he always know there was something wrong?  
  
"You can come in Angel, I already know it's you."  
  
He walked in slowly and looked at her and shut the door behind him.  
  
"Faith? Are you okay?"  
  
"Why do ask a question when you've already formed an answer to it in your mind." She said looking right into his eyes. He just stared at her trying to find something to say. He couldn't think of anything. Usually he just said 'Are you okay.' Then she'd say yes and give him a hard time for asking, then he'd go away and wonder why she was so difficult. This was knew.  
  
"Faith, will you please just tell me this time? Tell if your alright, tell me what happened what's going on."  
  
"Fine." She said a little sharply. "No I'm not okay, something is wrong and it's not getting better and NO I don't want to tell you what it is."  
  
"Can you tell me what can make it better?" He asked at a loss for words.  
  
"Nothing. Angel, this is just something I have to get over by myself." She said not looking up.  
  
"Can I at least do something to make you happy?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
He walked over and sat next to her and put an arm around her and brought her into a hug.  
  
"Angel, stop!" she said pushing him away and getting off the bed.  
  
"Faith wait!" he said grabbing her.  
  
"Faith I care about you, don't push me away. I'm NOT going to hurt you!"  
  
"I KNOW THAT ALREADY!! You keep telling me that! You always say that! I KNOW!! Okay!?!? I get it!!!!" she said giving him a look that would scare the hell out of most people.  
  
"Faith...." He said letting go of her, he didn't get to finish because she went out of the room and slammed the door behind her. He sat down on the bed slowly and just sat there. He felt like punching something, why couldn't she just be like other people, who wanted help and told him what was wrong. What happened to her? Didn't she trust him? It's not like he would laugh or think less of her. He heard the door open. He wished it was Faith coming back to say that she wanted to talk to him and she wanted him to make it better. Not in his wildest dreams. It was Wesley.  
  
"So you and Faith had another little spat."  
  
Angel just gave him a blank stare.  
  
Wesley let out a sigh. "So what was it this time?"  
  
"Nothing. I just wanted to know what was wrong."  
  
"Why is it that every time you see her you think it's that something is wrong? She's just a girl who is very distant. She isn't used to people and you should give her space."  
  
"But there IS something wrong. You didn't see her she was just so-"  
  
"Angel there never is anything 'wrong' until you bring it up with her. You should just leave her alone when it comes to certain things." He said with concern.  
  
"But how can we help her if I-we don't know how she feels. We're her friends that's the one thing about her that we should always know."  
  
"Angel, she knows how to take care of herself and she knows we're her friends. If she needs help she'll come to us."  
  
  
  
Faith had wound up on the opposite end of the hotel in one of it's abandoned rundown rooms. She sat in one of the old chairs in the corner and she brought up her knees up and put her arms around them. 'Great' she thought to herself. 'If he didn't think I was crazy before he does now.' She had acted so idiotically. Now they were going to have another one of their 'No talking periods' where both is afraid what the other will say. What had happened? Why was it that when everything seemed at it's best everything came crashing down. She wanted to leave. She wanted to get away from here. Maybe leaving would be the best thing. Things were great while they lasted but it was never going to last. Things were just going to keep getting worse from here. Leaving would be the best thing she could possibly do. Right?  
  
  
  
One Year And 7 Months Ago  
  
Faith walked into the living room of the neatly furnished apartment. Smiling happily. And why not? She had some to love her and she was living in a great apartment. Life couldn't be better. She looked over toward the phone to see the there was a red light flashing. The answering machine. She went over and hit the button.  
  
"Hi sweet heart its our Julia. You haven't called in a while and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm waiting. Love and kisses."  
  
The message ended. Julia? She thought to herself getting a sinking feeling in her stomach. Whose Julia?  
  
Present  
  
Angel sat in his own room reading a book. When Faith walked in.  
  
"Angel about before...."  
  
"It's okay." He said getting up and standing close in front of her. "We don't have to talk about it." He said looking at her smiling.  
  
"Good." She said rapping her arms around his neck. "I just wanted to be with you anyway." She said before they kissed.  
  
Angel sat straight up in bed in complete shock. Still shaken up from the dream.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL?" he said out loud.  
  
What do guys think? I added the dream to push things along a little. It is chapter 12 after all. 


	13. Beautiful Movie

Angel sat up in his bed. Eyes still wide open. What was that? That dream. He'd kissed Faith. So? People kiss people in dreams all the time! That doesn't mean anything, right? I mean there are dreams that mean thing and dreams that mean nothing, right? And this was a dream that meant nothing. Faith was a friend that was all. 'I've seen the way you look at her' Cordelia's words were once again sounding his head. No. He wasn't.....he couldn't be....that was just not possible. Yeah he was slightly attracted to Faith, maybe a little more then that. It's just that.....no. He couldn't. Faith trusted him. He wasn't going to just jump to conclusions. It was just a dream and Cordelia had been wrong before, why not now. Besides Faith wasn't attracted to him in that way anyway. There was no way. What could he give her? Just....no.  
  
  
  
Faith was in her room. Putting some clothes into a bag. It was never going to last. She just said in her mind. Yeah things were great now but they'd get worse and soon. There was no denying it. She put another shirt in her bag. It would be okay. Angel helped a lot of people, she would just be another one of them soon enough. Why did that have to bother her so much? Why couldn't she just be indifferent to the whole thing?  
  
"What are you doing?!"  
  
Faith turned around to see a very surprised Cordelia.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, what the hell do you think your doing?"  
  
"I'm leaving." Faith said not trying to show any real emotion.  
  
"No. You can't just show up and join all of are lives then leave like nothing happened."  
  
"Cordelia-"  
  
"No! Faith you have to stay you can't just leave all your friends, the people who trust and care about you without a word. Do have any idea how terrified we'd be?"  
  
"Fine! I'll stay!" she said tossing some clothes out of her bag. "It's just not something I'm used to OKAY?"  
  
"Fine. But if your planning on doing something stupid like leaving again tell one of us so we can talk you out of it." She said turning to leave and walk away.  
  
Inside she knew that Faith wouldn't have just left. Faith wanted to stay. She could see it. Faith just got freaked out by people, friends, family. Being happy. Didn't she understand though, how much they cared about her? Angel. Did she even understand what it would do to Angel if she just abandoned this place and left? No. She didn't. She didn't understand Angel at all. There was NO way she could tell Angel that Faith was going to leave. He'd completely freak out. If Faith thought that Angel followed her around now, he wouldn't let her out of his sight afterwards.  
  
  
  
Angel walked out his room deep in thought. 'Lorne!' he thought about the demon Wesley had introduced him to three days ago. He'd ask him and get this whole thing straightened out no problem. He wasn't watching where she was going and ran head first into Faith.  
  
"F-Faith, uhhhhhh so how are..........things you do.....going?" He said in a strange tone.  
  
What the matter with him? Faith thought to herself. Well not much just that he ran into some one who practically tried to cut his head off when he was trying to help them.  
  
"Angel about before...."  
  
"WHAT!?!" He said shocked remembering that it was the exact same way his dream started.  
  
"What!" Faith answered back sharply a little confused.  
  
"It's n-nothing. Just a thing that happened. A-A thing that didn't happen that is like this, now." He sputtered out.  
  
"Yeah well. About before, I'm sorry. I was just a little up tight. If there was something that was seriously wrong I would tell you, you know that right? Just please don't ask about his anymore. Please. Promise?" she said pleading.  
  
"Okay. I promise, I wont ask anymore." He said wishing that she would just tell him.  
  
"Thanks. Good bye Angel" She said giving him a smile as she walked away.  
  
There she goes. Your friend. FRIEND. Nothing else. Angel thought to himself as he hurried in the other direction.  
  
  
  
"So how's it going?" asked Lilah to a tall man in a suit.  
  
"How do you think?! We need Faith. I rather have her alive but dead would be just fine."  
  
"Now, now. We agreed that if we help you catch Faith you'd help us with our little 'Angel' problem."  
  
"And I've waited to long to see all this work for nothing. We need Faith and her blood."  
  
"Not that this is any of my concern but you know there is another slayer right? Why don't you just go after her a save yourself all this trouble? She'd be much easier to get close to then Faith by what I know."  
  
"Because that one is far to close to the council. Besides she doesn't have that same anger Faith has. That's what we really want. That's what we really need. This was foretold centuries ago. It's going to happen. Now better then ever."  
  
  
  
"Cordelia what are you doing?" he said looking into Faith's room.  
  
Cordelia was there putting clothes back into the drawers and there was a bag open and sitting on the bag. Cordelia stopped. The whole reason she was cleaning up Faith's mess so Angel wouldn't see it and start asking Faith questions. Knowing her she tell him the whole truth immediately and he'd freak out and stick to her like glue which would make Faith explode like she was prone to do. And watching the two of them on there emotional roller coaster was giving her a headache. This must be how Angel felt with her and Wesley all the time.  
  
"Nothing Faith just through another fit and I decided to clean up a little bit."  
  
"And since when did you care about Faith having a clean room?" he asked not believing a word of it.  
  
"I was just....bugging me. That's all." She said trying not to look at him.  
  
"Cordelia....."  
  
"Look, Angel I'd tell you but I know you'd completely freak out so can we not talk about it." She said starting to walk out of the room.  
  
"Cordelia." He said starring at her.  
  
"Fine! But promise me you wont become Faith's personal stalker."  
  
"Cordelia!"  
  
"Alright! Faith....was packing earlier. She was...going to leave."  
  
Angel just starred at her for a moment. "What?" he said a little too quietly for Cordelia's liking.  
  
"She was going to leave." She repeated.  
  
"WHY? When was she....why didn't she tell me?!?!"  
  
"She was probably going to before she left but I stopped her. I-I don't think she was really going to leave though, she was just a little upset that's." She said trying to calm him down.  
  
"I've got to go." He said quickly walking out the door.  
  
"Angel wait!" Cordelia said trying to follow him. To late he's already gone she thought to herself.  
  
  
  
Angel had checked all the rooms Faith was usually in. She wasn't there. Where the hell was she? She didn't leave did she? No she tried to leave earlier she didn't leave. Yeah, because Cordelia stopped her. What if she just said she was staying to get Cordelia to leave her alone? No. She couldn't be gone. He needed her here. They all did. What was she going to do without them? She needed people around her, friends. A family. She wasn't just going to find other people to be those things, was she? She seemed fine when she talked to him earlier. Her words suddenly came back to him. 'Good bye Angel'. Was she saying....NO! She hadn't left, he knew she hadn't. Where was she though? She had to be here if she wasn't-  
  
"What's the matter with you?" a voice came from behind.  
  
He spun around to see Faith, magazine in hand sitting on the counter. Starring at him like he was crazy. He practically ran to her as he gave her a hug.  
  
"Uhhhhh, Angle you can let me go now." She said a little confused. He let go of her right away but continued to stare at her.  
  
"What's the matter?" he said giving him an odd look.  
  
"Nothing. Just happy to see you." He said smiling. She isn't going to leave he thought in relief.  
  
"Okay. I guess I'm happy to see you too, don't expect a hug or anything." She said smiling.  
  
"What's that." He said looking at the open beer can on the table.  
  
"Oh it's mine." She said getting off the table and looking at him.  
  
"Faith...." He said with slight disapproval. When Faith did drink, she drank  
to get drunk. He knew that from experience he thought remembering a woozy Faith leaning against him with her arms around his neck.  
  
"I know I'm too young to drink, I know you don't like it and it's the only one I'm having." She said with a quick glance.  
  
"Faith you know that you weren't planning this to be your only drink." Angel said trying not to sound too concerned.  
  
"Fine I wont drink." She said a little annoyed. "You want to see a movie?" she asked suddenly.  
  
"A movie?"  
  
"Yeah it's not like we like we do anything normal around here, ever." She said with that old smile.  
  
"Yeah I'll go."  
  
?  
  
Angel and Faith sat next to each other in the middle, in a fairly empty theatre, there could have only been about 13 people in all. Faith happily ate her popcorn. She couldn't even remember the last time she had gone to a movie; it must have been months ago. And even though she usually went by herself. It was nice. Just her and Angel. What movie was this any how? They had just shown up without knowing what was playing and went to the movie that had the closest time. She loved movie food. She always did Angel didn't seem to mind it either. He seemed to just be happy being out of the hotel.  
  
"Tanks for coming with me Angel. Being in that hotel was driving me crazy." She said more happy then ever.  
  
"No problem. I should get out more anyway, and I'd rather go some where with you. So....what movie is this?"  
  
"I have no idea. What did the poster outside say?"  
  
"I think it's either romantic or horror it was hind of hard to tell."  
  
"I hope it's horror. I never understood romantic movies."  
  
"Don't you believe in romance?" he said turning to her,  
  
"Not by a long shot." She wanted to say she did once, but that would just lead to questions. "What kind of movies do you like?" she said trying to change the subject.  
  
"Anything's fine." He said trying to understand why she got so bitter at the word romantic. She tried not to let it show, but it was there.  
  
The movie started and everything was fine. Faith had gotten kind of tired and put her head on Angels shoulder, he really didn't seem to mid though. The movie was almost completely over when she noticed a couple sitting a few rows a head of them. They had been there the whole movie practically swallowing each others tongues, she had spent the whole time ignoring them but this was the first time she had gotten a good look of their faces. Her heart almost exploded in her chest when she saw the mans face. Ryan? What the hell?!? No. Not this time. She was going to stay here. She was happy and for once wasn't going to let something from her past ruin it.  
  
Angel, who still had Faith's head on his shoulder, felt her tighten up. He felt her hands go on his arm and tighten immediately. Something was bothering her. He already knew not to ask now. They could talk about it after the movie, it was almost over any way.  
  
  
  
Faith practically pulled Angel out of the theatre.  
  
"In a hurry?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah...well you know. What do you want to do now? Just go home?" she asked turning to look at him.  
  
"Sure. I'm tired anyway. How'd you like the movie?"  
  
"It was good. We should do this again soon." She said smiling.  
  
"Faith are you....yeah we should." He said deciding not to ask any questions that would get them into a fight. She would tell him when she was ready.  
  
"Thanks again for coming." She said leaning against him. He smiled and put an around her.  
  
  
  
Faith lay in bed. She had fun today. She loved doing things with Angel. She could explain the way he made her feel. It was just special. Everything in her life would be perfect if Ryan would just stop showing up. Angel noticed her unhappiness for that single minuet but hadn't said anything. Which is what she really appreciated. He cared about her. Faith smiled. She cared about him too.  
  
  
  
Angel was once again in bed. He couldn't sleep though. He kept thinking about Faith. Was she okay? Yes she was. She'd tell him if something was really bothering her. But he just wanted to show he cared. He hoped she got hat part. The dream kiss came back to him once again. Why couldn't that just go away? It was just a dream. It didn't mean anything. It was just a dream. He cared about her a lot but it wasn't like- His thoughts were cut off completely by a loud crash from a nearby room and a loud scream. It took him less then a second to know who the voce belonged to. Faith? 


	14. Marrige Problems

Faith was still in her bed letting her mind drift when out of no where four men dressed in black jumped through her bedroom windows and through a net over her. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?! Were Faiths only thoughts. She tried to break through the net, which should have been easy with her slayer strength but it was made out of something almost sticky and strong. She couldn't get out. She could feel the men grabbing her at all sides and start to pick her up, she gave out a scream and started kicking. She managed to through two of them off, net or not but she couldn't get at the other two. She heard the door swing open from behind her and Angel's voice.  
  
"Faith?!" she felt the two behind her getting grabbed and torn away. Once they were gone she could finally get that net off of her. She grabbed one of them and punched him and kicked another so hard he was thrown out the window he came from. In another few moments three had been thrown form a window and one retreated. Suddenly she heard Angels voice behind her.  
  
"Faith? Are you okay?" she turned around to see him starring at her with a terrified look. She went over to him and went into a hug. He hugged back.  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine just a little shaken up." She said stepping away. Unwillingly Angel let her go. "Who were they?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know. They were after you though. Are you sure your okay?"  
  
"Yeah I'm fine."  
  
"Looks like we're going to have to get some more windows for you rooms again. You can sleep in my room I'll take the couch.  
  
"Angel you really don't-"  
  
"What's that?" he said looking at her hand.  
  
"What?" she look down. Her left hand had a deep cut in it and the blood was pouring out. She hadn't even noticed until Angel had said something.  
  
"Your hurt." He said taking her hand. "Come on there is some stuff in the lobby that can clean that up." They both walked out of the room.  
  
  
  
"Can I just ask you what the hell do you thought you were doing?" Lilah said with Lindsey sitting next to her.  
  
"You weren't moving fast enough for us, so we decided to capture her ourselves."  
  
"Well that's great not that you have Faith you don't need us anymore, oh. Wait. I don't see her anywhere. And now Angel and his little friends all know that someone is after her which is going to make them all much more prepared and are job that much harder.  
  
Lindsey looked op from the papers he was holding. "This isn't the first time you tried to catch her was it? Here it says you tried to shoot her?" he said looking at them in disbelief.  
  
"We need her and you weren't moving fast enough. Besides we made it look like a gang fight or something."  
  
"That's not the point. Look we know you need Faith and the senior partners want Angel. We have a plan worked out. Well now we might have to change some things."  
  
"Hurry the full moon is almost over and I'm not waiting another month."  
  
"Why not? You've waited this long."  
  
  
  
Faith sat in a chair as Angel fixed up her hand and wrapped it with bandages.  
  
"I didn't even notice it." Faith said looking at her hand.  
  
"I know. It'll be okay." Angel said looking at her. "You look tired. You can have my room I'll sleep down here." He said still looking at her in concern.  
  
"Angel I don't need your room, I'm not tired anyway you should go to sleep." She said walking over and sitting on a nearby coach.  
  
"I guess we're both staying down here then." He said sitting on the coach next to her. They both sat in complete silence.  
  
"You know we REALLY need to get lives." Faith finally said.  
  
"Maybe." Angel simply replied. He couldn't have a social life. Not like Faith could. Why didn't she? Why didn't she have other friends? Why didn't she date? The others did. That's one of the things that made them human, Faith may be a little different but she was still human. She needed to enjoy that. She didn't even know how precious that was.  
  
"You should enjoy yourself more." He stated, seemingly out of nowhere.  
  
"Where did that come from?" she asked genuinely confused.  
  
"Just, you don't go out much. You don't date. You don't even talk to many people expect for me, Gunn, Wesley, and Cordelia. Your young and beautiful and you have lots of personality. You shouldn't stay in a dark hole in the wall your whole life." He half hoped that she missed the 'beautiful' part. He was still shaken up from the dream and wanted to separate himself from any possible attraction of Faith. But another half of him just wanted to say it because she needed to be told it.  
  
"Your one to talk. How long have you lived in some hole in the wall?" Faith asked with that same sharpness he's grown used to.  
  
Date? Faith thought to herself. Why does he want me to date? What does he expect? Me to just go out find the perfect guy, who is also not freaked out by the whole slayer demon thing, and get married and have a few kids. Was he crazy? Or was he just tired of her being there all the time and wanted some one else to take her off his hands?  
  
"Faith I just want to see you happy. The others deal with the darkness we fight all the time but they have lives outside of this. You don't. You stay in the dark like me. And nobody knows better then me how lonely it is. I just don't want you to get pulled into that."  
  
"I'm not lonely Angel. I was lonely before I meet you guys, not now. Besides even if I'm in the dark at least I'll have company." She said with a sarcastic smile.  
  
"I'm serious Faith."  
  
"You know what. I think I will just take your room." She said getting up and walking away.  
  
Angel starred after her. He didn't understand her.  
  
  
  
Faith walked into Angel's almost inhumanly clean bedroom and went directly under the covers. She wasn't lonely. She wasn't in a hole in the wall. She was happier now then she had ever been before. Why did he think her life was so terrible? She was happy like this. With a family. People who cared about her. A purpose in life. Why was this so terrible for him? What did he want? She was happy. And dating? What the fuck? Why dating? She didn't have any love life but considering her past experiences it didn't sound so bad to just be alone for a while. This was the longest she'd gone without having a fucking one night stand. She didn't have to anymore. She had people she could talk to, to notice her all the time, not for just a moment. She didn't want to get pushed out back to where she was. Why was that so hard to understand?  
  
  
  
Angel sat down at a bar in front of a green demon named Lorne.  
  
"So what do you think?" Angel asked.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About anything, about me."  
  
"Well you do seem a little stressed out and I think you know the cause of it."  
  
Angel thought a moment before admitting "Faith?"  
  
"No not Faith exactly. You stress out over how you feel about Faith, and I gotta tell ya. You keep this up it'll drive you crazy."  
  
"And how do I feel about Faith?" Angel said more anxiously. That was the whole reason he was here after all. {Not that he would admit that}  
  
"I think you already know the answer to that." Lorne said standing up.  
  
A look of confusion crossed his face. "And that is...."  
  
"You know." He said leaving.  
  
Well, glad THAT really helped. He thought to himself getting up to leave. What did he expect? It's not like that guy would ever give anyone a clear answer.  
  
  
  
Faith sat in a dance club drinking. She'd gone out to get away like she sometimes did. She wasn't old enough to drink but no one asked about an i.d so what the hell. She looked around to see what was going on. Same old same old. You could go to dozen night clubs in L.A and see the exact same thing. She felt some one sit down next to her.  
  
"Want to dance?"  
  
She looked over to so a young man in his early 20's most likely. He was cute. Angel asked why you don't date. Why not make him stop asking.  
  
  
  
Angel sat in the lobby yet again. Once more waiting for Faith. Wesley and Cordelia had been with him earlier. They got tired of his silence and brooding and went home. That was the other night. Now it was night all over again. Where the hell was she? He was terrified. Was she kidnapped, hurt, dead? Did she go out slaying and some vampire got her? A million things could have happened to her. He had to find her. And how he supposed to do that? They lived in a city with over six million people. She could take off one night for a soda and never be seen again. And there were those guys who attacked her the other day. They were clearly after Faith. And he doubted that they were going to give up after just one try, and who knew what they wanted her for. Or what they were going to do to her. He heard footsteps behind him. He recognized the footsteps. Faith. He turned around to see her starting to walk up the stairs.  
  
"Faith!" he ran toward her.  
  
"Where have you been?" he said not bothering to hide his concern.  
  
"I went out." She said simply.  
  
"Out where?"  
  
"Club, dancing, you know the usual. It was no big deal." She said walking up the stairs.  
  
No big deal? He almost had a heart attack. What was that on her? A foreign smell on her. Another person? A man. Why the hell was that there? He now felt more angry and annoyed then he was worried.  
  
"Yeah it was a big deal. I thought you were dead, I thought whoever your attackers were had gotten you and were torturing you in some basement and you were out all night and day with some guy?"  
  
"Why are you so mad?! That's what you wanted me to do, remember? Get out of the hole in the wall, meet other people, date. I did what YOU TOLD ME TO DO!!!!!!!!"  
  
"That's NOT what I told you to do!"  
  
"Yes it is! Where WERE you yesterday? That's exactly what you said for me to do."  
  
"Not like this!"  
  
"This? And what is THIS exactly? What did you want me to do? Find some nice uptown guy for you to meet? Have him "court" me here until we get married and have a couple of kids? You are out of your ever-loving blood-sucking mind!!!"  
  
"NO! That's not what I wanted to happen!!"  
  
"Then what did you want to happen!?!?!"  
  
"You should know!!! No I don't know, and you never say anything about it anyway!"  
  
"Maybe because EVERY time I try to you get all bitchy and try to bite my head off!"  
  
"Maybe that's because you ask the wrong things at the wrong time, all the time!"  
  
"Maybe THAT'S because you NEVER tell me what's going on! You just bottle it up and you never tell anyone what's really going on even though there is some deeper reason that you just HATE talking about!"  
  
"You know have you stopped to think there is a reason that I can't tell you? No you just make up reasons in your mind before that. AND speaking of people who bottle things, speaking of people who NEVER tell ANYONE what's going on, what about you!!!"  
  
"I have a reason!"  
  
"And I don't!  
  
"You never tell what that is!"  
  
"Neither have you!"  
  
"Yes I have!"  
  
"Have you REALLY Angel? Because you seem to just sit in the corner and think about things a lot!!"  
  
"Maybe because I have to!?"  
  
"No. You don't "have to" you just do it so you can shut yourself of completely from other people."  
  
"That's not it and you know it!"  
  
"You know...." she said giving out a sarcastic laugh. "Yesterday you said I could use your bedroom as long as I could sleep in mine. I hate doing that because then your sleeping on a couch and I wasn't going to do it tonight but now I think I'll just go up there and laugh my head off because I know that you can't sleep down here. PLEASANT DREAMS JACKASS!!!!!" she turned and walked quickly up the stairs.  
  
  
  
Wesley walked into the lobby. He had left a book here earlier that her needed. He was trying to find some identity to those who attacked Faith the other day. He walked into the front doors to see Angel sitting on the couch in a sulking position.  
  
"Ummmm Angel. What are you doing?" he said looking at him oddly.  
  
"Faith and I had a fight so she kicked me out and now I'm sleeping on the couch! That's what happened!" he said glaring at him.  
  
"Angel are you....sure you got that right?" he said starring at him. "You sound more like the two of you are married then anything else and.....why are you sleeping on the couch again?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"Okay." Said Wesley turning away, still completely confused.  
  
Angel just sat there. He wasn't trying to stay away from humanity. He had an excuse for all the brooding crap he did, Faith didn't. End of story. And he DIDN'T tell her to go out and date like that. Having sex with a guy you don't know isn't dating. And that's what she'd done. That's what she let on anyway. He wanted her to be happy, wanted to see her smile. Maybe if she had some one to kiss her and hold her she'd smile more. He just wanted to see her with some one...she could be with, some one she should be with. Maybe someone more serious with a lot more life experience, some one more loyal, more trusting. Some one........more like him? No. Right?  
  
He heard the door open to the side. He looked over to see a young man walk in. He was in his 20's, brown hair, tall, handsome. Wesley walked out form behind to counter.  
  
"Can we help you?" he asked  
  
"Maybe. Does Faith live here?"  
  
Angel felt himself getting defensive immediately.  
  
"And who are you exactly."  
  
"I'm an old friend of hers." He said with a smile. "My name is Ryan."  
  
So how do you guys like it? I re-did the whole thing a few times. 


	15. Why You Crying?

Angel continued to stare at the man. How did he know Faith? How could he be sure he wasn't lying? What if he was sent by the same person who sent the attackers from before. But then what if he was telling the truth? How was he connected to Faith? Faith never talked about her past, she slipped out a few hints of her childhood on occasion but that was all.  
  
"How do you know Faith?" he asked not trying to sound too suspicious.  
  
"I'm Faith's ex-boyfriend, or ex-fiancée almost."  
  
Angel couldn't have been more shocked if he shot himself right there. What did he mean ex- fiancée? Faith never got close enough to people, let alone men. He was lying. He HAD to be lying. There was no way that this....guy .....could have been Faith's....lover. Still that thought remained. Was he the type Faith was interested in? He was good looking, he had an elegant classy taste in clothes judging by what he was wearing. IF he was who he said who he was then at one point, Faith would have had to be in love with him. So there was something about him. He didn't see it. He wasn't Faith's type. He wasn't right for her.  
  
Wesley still stood in the corner with that odd look on his Faith. He had now turned his head toward Angel as if asking him what to do.  
  
"Why do you want to see her now?" Angel said getting up, not bothering to hide his suspicious tone.  
  
"I saw here in town night or two ago and wanted to see her. It's been a while since we've talked." He said smiling slightly.  
  
"She's not here right now she went out with a friend of ours but she'll be here tomorrow morning if you really want to see her."  
  
"Okay. I'll be here sometime in the afternoon then." He left with that same smile on his face and shut the door behind him. There was an awkward silence in the air before Wesley finally said  
  
"What are we going to do about this?"  
  
"I...don't know. I guess we should ask Faith about it." He said quietly then finishing with a quick "When she wakes up. We shouldn't bother her now, she's still angry." Angel said starring at the wall.  
  
"Angel even if that young man is who he said he was, Faith left him for a reason. There not together anymore." Wesley said trying to cheer him up.  
  
"I know! That doesn't matter anyway. Why should I care? The question is, is that guy who he says he is. Faith wakes up earlier when she goes to bed around this time. I'll ask her then if she still isn't mad at me."  
  
Wesley continued to stare at his friend. He knew what was really bothering him, even if Angel wouldn't admit it, not even to himself.  
  
  
  
Faith was wide awake in bed, or Angel's bed was more like. She had been fast asleep but had suddenly woken up with a feeling of dread. She wanted to go downstairs and get something to eat from the kitchen but Angel would be down there. Why did he yell at her like that? She had done exactly what he told her to do. She had gone out with a guy and yes had sex with him. She left before he woke up. She had felt disgusting. She didn't look in any of the mirrors or windows as she left. Was this the way she was supposed to fell? She couldn't stand the way her own skin felt. She just wanted to go home and go to bed. She couldn't though. She didn't know why she just couldn't go home. She spent the day at the parks and seeing the sights. It was a beautiful city if you saw the right places. She had come home and Angel had completely freaked out. He made her feel like the trash she had felt like her entire life, he didn't mean to, she knew that but it still hurt. She just wanted to stay here. Everything was so soft. The entire bed smelled like him. She loved that smell. She couldn't help it. Have to get up now, she thought to herself. The attachments she felt toward these people, towards this place scared her sometimes but made everything feel so safe. She got up and headed down the stairs. Maybe Angel wasn't mad any more and they could be like they were before. She reached the main floor and saw Angel sitting alone in a chair he looked so distraught. It wasn't because of there fight was it? She walked over and stood next to him.  
  
"Angel about last night I'm not going to say I'm sorry because some of the things you said really-"  
  
"It's okay Faith you don't need to say anything." He said getting up and walking away from her. She starred after him. Even if he was mad he wanted to here what she had to say. Did she really do something that awful?  
  
"Hey, Faith look last night some....guy came and said he knew you. He's going to be here soon. I think he was telling the truth but if he wasn't we should be ready."  
  
"Who knew me? I don't know anyone besides you guys."  
  
"He was someone from your past. You should remember him. Think about people you cared about.....loved." He said starring at her un blinking.  
  
"No there isn't anyone I can think of."  
  
Great you can't even remember someone you probably were completely in love with, so if you left here tomorrow would about would you even remember me in another two months? Angel kicked the thought out of his head. He couldn't believe he had just thought that. Faith was his best friend. She trusted him. How could he think that about her?  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked again.  
  
"Angel there is no one I knew before that I don't regret knowing now." She said turning away. She didn't like this. Why was he acting this way?  
  
Angel still stood with his back to her but her words stayed in his head 'there is no one I knew before that I don't regret knowing now.' What if she was thinking about "Ryan" or whatever the hell his name was. Did he do something to her? Maybe she never really loved him. He turned and walked over to Faith who had a very confused look on her face.  
  
"Look Faith I'm sorry it's just that...." He never got to finish with what he was going to say because the door to their side swung open and in came the man from last night.  
  
"Faith there you are!" he said with a warm smile.  
  
Angel watched Faith's entire body freeze. He didn't like this. He took a step closer to Faith. She gave him a look that almost screamed 'What is he doing breathing?' Faith slowly turned to face him.  
  
"Ryan, what are you doing here?" It was a simple question but her words sounded like ice.  
  
"I came to see you. I thought I'd never see you again then I see you walk away from the movie theatre I was in, I couldn't believe it!."  
  
'Well' Angel thought to himself, 'That explains why she got so up tight right before we left.'  
  
"Why do you want to see me now! You didn't want to see me after I left! When I was waiting for you! You knew where I was!" Faith by this time was practically screaming in rage. Angel starred at a little surprised. If he put a stake in her hand now she wouldn't hesitate to kill this guy.  
  
"Faith please! Can we just talk! I was just..." he stopped and looked at Angel. "Faith can we talk about this? In private?" Angel noticed he stressed the word private. He did not want Faith alone with him. "Look if you don't like what I say I'll leave and I'll be gone for good."  
  
Faith starred at him. The sound of his voice made her want to rip his eyes out, but still the thought of him being gone for good and never coming back sounded VERY appealing. Then maybe this part of her past could stop haunting her and she could finally get on with her life, with getting along with people.  
  
"Fine. We can talk in the park or something." She said walking toward him.  
  
"Faith!" Angel said stunned. She wasn't really going to go with guy was she?  
  
"Angel I'll be back soon. He can't do anything to me." To him what she meant was clear. He wasn't strong enough to hurt a slayer even if he tried and it was already obvious to him that he had no idea what a slayer even was. He watched her walk out. It was clear that if there ever was any love between the two of them it didn't exist anymore. Faith seemed to hate him. Some where inside he hoped she'd stay that way.  
  
  
  
Once they were outside the building Ryan turned toward her.  
  
"Ryan why are you here?"  
  
"To see you."  
  
"You keep saying that but why? You were the one who never loved me, you were the one who lied to me, you were the one who let me leave. Why come now? Once everything was perfect for me?" Faith said with a hint of pleading in her voice.  
  
"I miss you. I know I shouldn't say that. Faith...I did love-, I still care for you. And if you remember I never brook up with up you."  
  
"No. But you had planned out to from the very beginning." Faith said bitterly.  
  
"It started out that way but...I was supposed to marry a girl I new from my home named Julia. I didn't really know her that well I was just always expected to be with her, we were to everyone else the all-American couple. Then I went to college and I meet you. You looked so beautiful I couldn't help it. I just wanted to be with you for a little while. Then we started dating and I started to.....like you more and more. Then you found out about Julia and left, which I totally understand. I saw the note but decided that it would be better this way. I didn't want to leave you Faith. I almost dumped Julia and stayed with you, but you left first. I convinced myself that we weren't supposed to be and went on with my life. I went home and couldn't marry Julia though, I didn't know you were by then. I couldn't find you if I tried so I just went on."  
  
"You expect me to believe that?!" Faith said angrily.  
  
"It's the truth! If I didn't want to see you again why would I show up now? I could go on never seeing you."  
  
"Ryan....."  
  
"Faith will you give me another chance?"  
  
"NO! Ryan you can't just come back after what you did!! Why should I trust you!!! Your probably lying right now!" Faith yelled.  
  
"Faith please. I know what I did hurt you, and with all of the things you've been through in your life I regret it the even more."  
  
"First of all you have NO idea how much it hurt, so don't even start with me about that! Second, the one thing I regret is telling you every horrible thing about my life, and all the while you pretended to care! How could you do something like that!?!?!"  
  
"Faith I didn't pretend to care, I did care, I do care! Besides with all of what's happened to you, you need some one to protect you, take care of you! And you don't have that, do you?  
  
"Whatever you think, I don't need anyone to protect or take care of me. I can save myself thank you!"  
  
"Yes you do! You at least need a boyfriend or something and you don't have one. Do you? Who was that guy in the lobby of that hotel? The way he acts when he hears your name, the way he looks at you!" he said with such a tone of utter disgust. "Is he your boyfriend or something !?!?!" he said taking a very angry tone.  
  
"No he's not! He's just a friend. And he is my best friend and if talk about him like that again I'll cut your tongue out!"  
  
"You can't hurt me! And men and women can't be just 'best friends'!"  
  
"You are the most narrow minded man I ever meet! What the hell did I used to see in you!?!?"  
  
"What you still see in me." He said as if correcting her.  
  
"I don't see anything in you!"  
  
"I'm not going away until you give me another chance."  
  
"But you said-"  
  
"But that's just it! I think there is a small part of you that still loves me, you just don't trust me yet. You will again. I'm not leaving until you do." He said leaving quickly leaving a stunned Faith. She just stood there. She wanted him gone, out of her life. Now he was going to be there all the time. She reluctantly walked back inside a look a slight distress on her face.  
  
  
  
Angel watched Faith leave and disappear behind the closed door. What were they talking about? How did they know each other? 'Why do you want to see me now! You didn't want to see me after I left! When I was waiting for you! You knew where I was!' those words kept ringing in his ears. From that he guessed that they had been together for at least a little while, and the break up had hurt Faith more then she had let on before. He hated the way he looked at her. Like she belonged to him. She didn't. Faith walked in. She looked so dejected.  
  
"Faith?" He asked.  
  
"Hey Angel."  
  
He continued to stare at her. Not really sure what to say. "So you........"  
  
"He wants me back! That's what he said! Can you believe him! He comes back years later and just expects me to love him all over again! HE didn't even love ME the first time! I don't care what he says. Buying me all those stupid gifts. He thinks he can just buy me well he can't! He couldn't then and I wont let him now. Okay he just can't!  
  
Angel just starred at her for a few seconds.  
  
"Ummmmmmm. Okay."  
  
Faith started to walk up the stairs but Angel stopped her.  
  
"Faith I know you don't like talking to me about........ some things. But if you want to tell me about...this I'm ready to listen." He looked at her hopefully.  
  
Faith let out a sigh. She was going to have to tell him some time. There was no way around this one.  
  
"H-He's an old......boyfriend."  
  
"That's all?" He said giving her a questioning look. "He said he used to be your fiancée. Is.....Is that true?"  
  
"NO! We were never going to be married! I, might have wanted it at one point but that was a really long time ago. He was just a boyfriend Angel."  
  
"D-Did you....did you love him?" he asked so seriously that it surprised her.  
  
"Yes." She said quietly. "But just not anymore."  
  
"Why did you stop seeing him?" he said taking a step closer to her. He was now so close that she could have felt his body heat coming off him if he had any. "Did her treat you bad? Cheat on you? Something like that?"  
  
"God Angel, you sound like you want you want to make him into the worst person you possibly can."  
  
"Faith I'm serious."  
  
"He didn't treat me bad, and he didn't cheat on me. I was the person he was cheating with, I just didn't know it. He had some one he was engaged to and had me sleeping with him at his apartment and I didn't even have any idea what was going on. I found out about it and left." She could already feel the tears starting to form in her eyes. Why did she have to say that part. She went immediately toward Angel and buried her face at the top of his chest and started to cry. Angel put his arms around her and held her tight.  
  
"It's okay, Faith, it's okay...." He said in a soft cooing sound. He wanted to kill Ryan. He made Faith cry, he caused her pain. That was something he could never forgive. He could feel Faith nuzzle deeper into his chest, his grip got tighter. Faith had to be the person he cared for must. He couldn't let him hurt. She said that he used to buy her gifts all the time. Is that why she got so nervous about him buying her that necklace earlier?  
  
"I told him ever thing about me Angel. He knew me completely. I told him how I felt, my childhood, every thing. And he didn't care. He just used it against me. I can't even....."  
  
She was sobbing uncontrollably now. Was this why she never opened up to any one? She was afraid that they would use it against her, that they would think she was stupid and idiotic. He wanted to make it all better for her. He didn't know how though. He wished he could make it better.  
  
  
  
Faith woke up with a warm feeling inside her. She looked around to see where she was. She could feel a warm arm encircle her waist. Her entire front was pressed against some thing hard but soft. She opened her eyes. She was in Angel's be WITH Angel next to her. What happened last night? She had been in Angels arms crying her eyes out. He brought her up and put her in bed but she wouldn't let go and he kept his arms around her. They went under the covers and had fallen asleep. She didn't know what to do now. If she got up he would wake up thus starting a VERY uncomfortable conversation. What was she supposed to say to him? What was he going to say to her? She just lay there perfectly still. Well you might as well get up, it's not like he's going to sleep forever. But still it was nice just to be here. Just for a little while anyway. But still........  
  
"Angel...Angel wake up. Angel wake up!" she said with a little push.  
  
Angel opened his eyes to see Faith in front of him. He remembered every thing that happened instantly. He remembered her falling asleep in his arms. He didn't want to admit he liked it as much as he did but he enjoyed it. Some one being there. It was the one thing he had missed that most while he was alone.  
  
"Ummmm good morning Faith?" He said more as a question then anything else.  
  
"Thanks Angel. For giving me some time to just unload. I really needed it." She wanted to say it better. She wanted to say more, but she really couldn't.  
  
"It's okay. I'm glad you talked to me." He looked a little nervous before he said the next part. "You deserve much better then him Faith. I'm glad you wont have to see him again, I hate seeing you sad."  
  
"Angel...........about me not seeing him again........."  
  
"Your not going back him are you! From what I just heard he isn't even good enough to...." He sounded more like he was in a state of panic and disbelief more then anything else.  
  
"ANGEL!! I don't want to be with him. He's just.......convinced that he can win me back. I don't think that he's going to be leaving any time soon."  
  
Angel could feel his blood boil at that. He couldn't honestly believe that he could get Faith back after what he did to her.  
  
"Faith if he isn't leaving you alone. I'll do anything that I can to..."  
  
"No Angel it's okay. I can handle it. But thanks for offering anyway." She said putting her head on his shoulder.  
  
Angel smiled. Glad that after all this time she finally trusted him enough that she began to open up to him. The fight they had yesterday was still fresh in his mind though. Still there how terrified he had been when he had found out that he didn't know where she was and couldn't find her. They were both still angry about it, and there was no doubt in his mind that they would argue about it later but right now they were fine.  
  
Like it? I'm not sure where to go after this I have lots of ideas but I don't know how well they would fit this story. What do you think? Pregnancy, kidnapping, murder, some weird spell or demon, people from the past flash backs. Tell me if you like any of these. I love your reviews, thanks! 


	16. Prelude To Vacation

13 Years Ago Boston  
  
"Mommy? Mommy?" a small girl, around five years old, with dark hair and eyes asked looking across the room at a group of men and women who were at the time laughing, drinking and making out. One of the woman looked over with a scowl on her face the others were too drunk to even here her let alone understand her.  
  
"I told you, you little bitch, don't EVER call me that!" the woman said with a tone that could freeze water. The others still didn't notice.  
  
"But I had a bad dream. There were people biting other people and eating there blood. I'm scared."  
  
"Go to room! Don't come out here at night. I told you don't talk to me. Go to your room and don't come out until launch tomorrow. Well? GET OUT?" she said throwing an empty beer bottle at her. In her drunken state she missed but to the little girl it was clear. Leave or you're going to get a beating until you can't see. She clutched to the teddy bear she was holding, her only toy, and turned and ran into her room and shut the door behind her.  
  
The room was a bit small but it looked rather large from lack of furniture. All that was in there was an old bed and a night stand next to it with an old lamp. The little girl still holding on to her teddy bear went over and climbed up on top of the bed. She put her head on the pillow and looked out the window that was next to the bed. It's just a dream she kept repeating over in her head. But it seemed do real. They looked normal then there faces looked wired, they bite the people and drank. It was so dark. Just like in her dream.  
  
The little girl turned her head to the side again not wanting to look out the window the monsters could come trough. She could hear loud laughter from the people her mommy brought home at night. They were always different and they were mostly men. They always scared her though, she just stayed in her room. And wonder, what was going to happen to her?  
  
  
  
"Faith! Look out!" screamed Angel seeing a vampire about to grab her while fighting off one of his own.  
  
Faith turned and kicked him then quickly took out a stake and stabbed him with it and watched him turn to dust. Suddenly she thought of Angel. He would turn to dust if he was stabbed like that. He would turn to dust and she would never see his face again. There would just be......nothing. No body for a funeral, no last good-bye. Just....nothing. She heard Angel stake a vampire behind her. He let out a sigh of relief and looked over to her. "Faith? You okay? You look kinda......." Angel wasn't really sure how to describe the look on her face. It wasn't horror or worry or anything more like a unhappy thoughtful look.  
  
"Yeah, you know just thinking." She said walking over. They were in an ally a little ways away from there home. They found a nest of vampires and gotten rid of them.  
  
"Let's go home, it's almost sunrise and I don't feel like being cooked into dust just yet." They walked side by side to the hotel. Angel opened the front door to see a room full of roses.  
  
"What the HELL?" he said looking around. There were bunches of them everywhere.  
  
"Where did they all come from?" Faith asked walking over to touch them. "They're pretty aren't they." Faith said picking up so that had been tied together. She noticed a card fall to the ground. She bent over and picked it up.  
  
"Hey Angel there's a card!"  
  
He turned to look over at her. "What does it say?"  
  
She opened it up and read the inscription:  
  
For every night I want to spend with you.  
Ryan  
  
"OH crap there from Ryan!" She said tossing the roses she was holding onto a nearby chair. She should have known.  
  
Her statement immediately made his blood boil. If he EVER found him around here he'd beat the crap out of him. Four the past four days he'd been calling non-stop leaving messages on the answering machine. Faith would get upset and of course close him off completely. Couldn't that guy take a hint? And what the HELL were they supposed to do with all of these flowers. Angel through a nearby vase on to the floor.  
  
"Angel!" Faith shouted at him. She knew this whole Ryan thing was bothering him too but he was almost taking it harder then she was. Why?  
  
"Just everything is getting to me! We have kidnappers that are either after you or all of us. You have a personal stalker and these dreams are driving me CRAZY!!"  
  
"What dreams?" Faith asked still starring at him.  
  
"Dreams? Uh......." Angel wasn't exactly sure how to get out of this. "I had a dream about a week ago, there were the powers that be and they kept saying things about humanity, that stuff."  
  
"That's only one."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You said dreams, that was only one dream."  
  
"Yeah well......It's just been very stressful." He said turning away. The last thing he wanted to do was tell his best friend that he had been having erotic dreams her.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
He looked over at her. "Why?"  
  
"Some of it just seems to be my fault."  
  
"NO! It's not your fault. Most of this wouldn't get to me like this, it's just that it keeps coming, it doesn't stop." He said sitting down.  
  
"Maybe we should take a vacation." Faith said half laughing while she said. There was no way she could imagine Angel EVER taking a break from ANYTHING.  
  
"Takes a good idea." He suddenly.  
  
"Uh....Angel maybe the rose smell is getting to ya or something but..."  
  
"No. I mean Cordelia can have a vision anywhere. And leaving would get us away from everybody else. We should go somewhere all of us. Just take a break for once."  
  
Faith laughed. "Okay, then where would we go?" she asked.  
  
"I have an idea." He said.  
  
That's it for right now. Just so you guys know I'm going on a trip and wont be back until Tuesday so I wont update anything until Wednesday most likely. {I hope the plane doesn't explode or anything} So where do you guys want them to go on vacation? e. 


	17. Road Trip

"So what is this place called again?" Faith asked starring out the window as the surroundings around them speed by.  
  
"The Bay Palm. It's a spa in Nevada. It's peaceful, calm, and perfect for meditation."  
  
"And it's in Vegas right?"  
  
Angel smiled. "Right"  
  
Faith looked into the backseat and saw Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley had fallen asleep. They'd been in the car for two hours and still had another 2 hours or so to go but they still had enough time to get there before the sun came up. Vegas. She was glad they were going. She'd never been there before. She had always planned on going when she was on her own, maybe get a job there. Neither Wesley or Cordelia or Gunn had been there before either. They all packed quickly and left as soon as they could. Cordelia and she hadn't spoken a word to each other the whole trip, which was fine with her. The two were still tense around each other. Angel apparently had been there before. Way, way before when it was still mostly desert. The whole idea of a vacation was odd to her. When she left a place with her clothes she didn't come back, but now there were people and they were much easier to hang onto then a place. She looked over at Angel who was looking dead ahead of him only really moving when blinking. Faith smiled. He was such a prude. She couldn't really imagine him going to some of the places in Vegas. But his uptight nature was one of the things she loved about him. She loved the look he got on his face when he was in shock. She looked out the window next to her still smiling thinking about her life and how quickly it had changed. She remembered the start of the change perfectly. She could still picture Angel in the ally they meet, in her hotel room telling her what he was, what she was. She remembered how crazy she thought he was, she hadn't wanted to go with him. What had changed her mind? Those men in the parking lot who had been bothering her earlier. She had forgotten all about that. It was nothing. Probably not the same people she just thought they were the same. But still one thing she learned in the past months was be suspicious of coincidences. Which brought back the memory of those men who had tried to take her away. Were the two connected some how? Don't be ridiculous. She really needed more sleep she thought to herself. But hard as she tried she couldn't shake the feeling of them throwing that net over and grabbing her and not being able to move. What if she hadn't gotten away? What would they have done with her? Hurt her? Kill her? She was sure it would have all been over. She would have never seen any of her friends again. Angel. Wesley. Gunn. Even Cordelia. Would they miss her like she would miss them? Most likely. For how long? She looked over at Angel who hadn't moved from the statue like pose he was in before.  
Angel as the time was trying his hardest not to look at Faith. He would usually love talking to her but being in a confined space with her that was filled with quiet was driving him crazy. His mind kept going back to his dream. They were becoming more constant and they were also getting longer. At first there would be a kiss then he would just wake up, but every dream got more and more added on to it. The whole time they were getting longer the more he had tried to almost avoid Faith. The first time he saw her the next day he would remember the night before. It would also remind him that he enjoyed it. He'd been denying it for weeks but part of him always knew how much he loved those dreams. How in them he got to hold her. It was driving him crazy. That was another reason he was going to Vegas. There was a woman there, he meet her once long ago. She owed him a favor. She was a seer. She could tell him why he was having these dreams. Suddenly Faith's voice came from out of no where.  
  
"What do you think they would have done to me?"  
  
He heard her but wasn't sure if he heard her right. "Who would have done to you when?"  
  
"Those men who tried to take me away."  
  
He frowned. He didn't like thinking about that. They would have done something to her. They weren't just taking her out to show her around town. He hated them grabbing her, touching her. What if they had gotten her? Would he have been able to find her? What if he couldn't? What if he could never see her again? No. He wasn't going to think about that. It hadn't happened and he learned from experience that there was not use in thinking about what might have been, the good or the bad.  
  
"They didn't get you Faith. And they never will. I'm not letting them get near you." He said in an almost stressed voice. "Just don't think about it Faith. We'll find them and make sure they stay away."  
  
"Thanks for the pep talk coach." She said smiling. "So how much longer until we're there?"  
  
"Only another hour or so." He said his eyes focusing back onto the road.  
  
"So why did you choose Los Vegas?" she asked with interest.  
  
"Oh....I just thought it would be a place that everyone would like plus I can drive there and not have to worry about being cooked alive in the sun." he said not telling her the third reason.  
  
"What do you want to do when we get there?" She asked.  
  
"I don't know. We'll find something." He said with a smile.  
  
The chapter is a little short but I'm already working on the next one. I am also working on my other story and starting a new one. If you guys have any suggestions I'd love to hear them! I have something in mind but I'm not sure weather to put it this story or another one. Until the next chapter. 


	18. Room Confusion

Faith happily looked out of the window starring at the lights and buildings passing by. She liked this place already. She could hear the others talking away behind her. They'd woken up half an hour ago and had all been in a good mood ever since. Angel, as she noticed before, was still not looking at her. 'What's wrong with him?' was all could she think of, she hadn't done anything. Not recently anyway. Maybe he was still upset over the whole 'Ryan' thing. He was being nice about but it was her fault. She knew that but never brought it up, Angel would deny it and try to convince her otherwise which would be more annoying then helpful. She wondered where there hotel was. Close to the fun or on the edge of town for the 'calmness'. For Angel it was beautiful, for Gunn, Wesley, and Cordelia it would be like going to another place to do the exact same thing they would have done at home, for her it was like being beaten to death with a spoon. She just wanted to have some fun while she was here. To Faith happiness was practically in the dead center of town with casinos all around it. She looked at Angel and smiled.  
  
"I thought you said this place was 'peaceful and calm'" she said imitating Angel's voice.  
  
"It is. On the inside. And the rooms are sound proof so we won't have to hear any traffic noises."  
  
"Or any other noises." Gunn said under his breath. Angel gave him a glare and Faith let out a laugh.  
  
Angel parked the car nearby and everyone started to take there bags out of the trunk. A limo pulled up nearby and Cordelia stared walking towards it.  
  
"See you guys later!" She said looking over at them.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Gunn which was what the rest of them were thinking.  
  
"My cousin lives here. She hasn't seen me in a while so I'm going to stay with her in her penthouse." She said with a smile getting into the limo. "Don't worry about paying for my room, I already called ahead and canceled it." She said shutting the door.  
  
They just looked at each other and shrugged and continued to walk into the building. Faith looked around; it was clean and expensive looking. Definitely one of the nicest places she had stayed in. There were casinos surrounding the lobby on all sides. And she was distracted by the people for a moment. She looked over to see Wesley and Gunn get handed there hotel keys by a man at the desk and take off. Angel was still standing at the desk. He looked at her for a second then quickly looked away. Faith let out a sigh. She wished he would stop doing that. Like looking at her to long was bad for his health or something.  
  
Angel stood at the desk. Hoping that Faith didn't see him looking at her. He knew she thought that he was acting strangely; he just hoped that she didn't ask why. That would be awkward, for him any way, and for her if she figured it out. The man at the desk hung up the phone and turned back to him.  
  
"Yes here is your room key sir. There is an extra one if you need it." Angel looked at him confused.  
  
"Key? This is only for one room. There are still two rooms left that I called for."  
  
The man looked over his computer. "No...according to this you originally had five but then you called ahead and canceled two of them."  
  
"No. That was a friend of mine, she canceled HER room but there should still be another one."  
  
"There must have been a mistake then."  
  
"Can you just give me the room back then?" asked Angel getting annoyed.  
  
"I'm very sorry, there's someone already in that room."  
  
"But my friend and I both need rooms."  
  
The man looked over at Faith who was still looking around.  
  
"Well your room is meant for two people, besides I would think you'd enjoy sharing a room with her." He stated looking Faith up and down.  
  
"And what the HELL is that supposed to mean?" Angel said felling his anger rising and not appreciating the way he was looking at Faith.  
  
"It's out of my hands. We're completely full for the next four months." The clerk said turning away.  
  
"HEY!" Angel called after him, to late he was gone. Jackass.  
  
He looked over at Faith who was now waiting for him. He looked at her a little unsure what to do. She walked over to him  
  
"What's wrong with you?" she asked looking at him.  
  
"There's only one room left."  
  
"What?" Faith asked not getting what he just said.  
  
"When Cordelia called and canceled her room they goofed and canceled another one too. And there booked so there are no other rooms." He said still annoyed.  
  
"No problem, I can go out and find some where else to stay. The city is full of hotels."  
  
"Faith no. The only thing you could find now would be some cheap place. I'll go."  
  
"I can't sleep if you do that." Faith said trying to convince him.  
  
"Well I can't sleep knowing you're in some filthy place probably going to get mugged, raped, and shot in the head." Angel said almost seeming to rant.  
  
Faith just starred at him. "What DOES go on in that head of yours?"  
  
"Look just take the room." Angel said wanting to know she was safe.  
  
"I CAN'T take it for the same reason you can't, I feel guilty." Faith said giving up. "Look why don't we just share the room?"  
  
"There's one bed." Angel said starting to feel a little uneasy about where this conversation was going. "I thought we were just going to need a room for each of us."  
  
"Why don't we just share a bed?"  
  
It was a good thing that Angel was leaning against the desk otherwise he would have fallen over.  
  
"What?" he said not thinking he heard her right.  
  
"Why not? We we've done it before. Were friends, it's not a big deal or anything." Faith said simply picking up her bags. Angel just starred at her. Faith was easy going and didn't think a lot about things she didn't think was important. He wasn't as easy going. Faith looked up at him.  
  
"If you don't want to I could share a room with Gunn or Wesley." She said not thinking it was any big deal.  
  
"NO! It's okay." He said get a little agitated at what she had just said. No big deal. He kept telling himself on the way to the elevator. It doesn't both Faith. Yeah and Faith hasn't been having dreams about.......no. NO. Not going to think about that. Not going to. Not going to. Not going to.  
  
Hey guys! How do you this chapter? Tell me if you want to change anything! 


	19. Just Joking

Faith stood in the elevator next Angel. There room was on the 12th floor. Angel seemed to be almost nervous and on edge. What else was new? She felt the sliver chain of her necklace against her neck. It was the one Angel had given her on her birthday. She still felt embarrassed about running out like that when he gave it to her. She had connected him to Ryan instantly when he gave it to her. She had actually thought that he wanted something from her. That would have been stupid enough but that wasn't the only time she had thought that. There were times that she was almost sure that he had shown interest in her. That was even more ridiculous. It might have been her own wishful thinking more then anything else. Even she had to admit he was drop dead gorgeous. But that was before, this is now and they were to close of friends to do anything else. She just waited until there was a small 'ding' and the doors slid open.  
  
  
  
Angel looked around in the lobby. He and Faith had put there bags in the room and she wanted to go to the casino. They had split up and hour ago to go to different places. He thought he heard her say something about poker. He went over to the bar and asked for a drink. The bartender was a young red headed woman who winked at him and started to flirt with him. He got up and left. Flirtation made him nervous. Except for Faith's flirting, but that was just for fun. Right? Maybe it wasn't.....no. NO. It was just for fun. For the sake of his own sanity and for the love of all that's holy, it's just for fun. Nothing was going to change his mind from that.  
  
Faith sat at a poker table. Royal Flush. The night was definitely going her way. The man next to her smiled at her. He wanted her. She already knew that. She knew that look. She just smiled back seductively. Lead him on a little. That was always fun. She put her cards down. She won again. Now two hundred dollars. She smiled, took the winnings and walked away. Might as well leave while she was ahead. She looked at the bar to see Angel sitting at a table by himself with the pretty bartender standing 10 feet away behind the bar starring at him like she had never seen a man before in her life. Might as well put him out of his misery.  
  
Angel sat at his table taking another sip of his drink. His back was turned but he could still feel the woman's stare. Suddenly he felt two hands cover his eyes and a head rest on the top his own head.  
  
"Guess who?" came a very familiar woman's voice in a mocking seductive tone.  
  
"Hello Faith." He said in a monotone voice. She gave him a small kiss on his check and sat down next to him with her arms around his neck.  
  
"What are you doing?!" Angel said in a VERY shocked tone. She had no idea how nervous she was making him.  
  
"Trying to make your new girlfriend jealous." She said speaking of the now pissed of bartender while nuzzling her face into his neck.  
  
Angel went stiff as a board. HE hated admitting it but he loved this. She was just joking around though. What if she wasn't? Could they be together? There was that whole curse thing. But there was that dream. The one weeks ago with the powers that be. They said he was closer to being human. Did that mean he could be happy without losing his soul?  
  
Wait. Did that mean IF Faith wanted to be with him...he wanted to be with her? Did that mean he wanted to be with her right now? For the millionth time Cordelia's words came back to him. 'I've seen the way you look at her'  
  
"Angel?" Faith said with some worry in her voice. "Angel you okay? You knid of zoned out on me." She said shaking him slightly.  
  
Angel blinked a few times in surprise. "Yeah. I'm....here."  
  
"You sure your okay?"  
  
"Yeah." He said still trying to figure things out.  
  
"How many of these drinks have you had?" she said laughing.  
  
"This is my first one." He said with a smile.  
  
"I think we can fix that." She said ordering another drink.  
  
Okay so how do like this chapter? To abrupt? I have some ideas but I'm not sure what ones will work so I'm trying to decide. 


	20. To Make It Better

Faith smiled as she watched Angel laugh at her joke. They had been sitting at that table drinking for almost an hour and a half. There was something on his mind. She knew him well enough to know that. He would tell her eventually, she knew that. She smiled at him.  
  
"Maybe we should stop before we pass out." He said looking at the empty glasses in front of them.  
  
"We'll be fine. Besides you need a break." She said taking another sip. She was having fun. They usually did together. There was always that special bond between them. She hadn't felt this way since she and Ryan had been together. She paused at that thought. She didn't see Angel in a way she used to see Ryan. Did she? No this was different it was...stronger in a way. You loved Ryan at the time, how can your feelings for Angel be stronger? She didn't.......did she?  
  
  
  
Past: Two years ago  
  
Faith looked around the expensive restaurant. She was wearing a long black dress with a silver necklace and earrings. It was there first month anniversary and Ryan wanted to take her some place special. He was in front of her right now giving their order to the waiter. She smiled. This was one of the best nights of her life. She felt so close to him. She loved being with him, but still sometimes she had a nagging feeling that she belonged somewhere else. She didn't know what it was. She just knew it was there. She shrugged it off a little. It was probably nothing. Just nerves. She looked out a near by window to see people walking by on the street happily talking to each other. In the distance she could hear the honking of a taxi horn nearby. She turned her attention away from the window. This place looked so expensive. A completely different world then what she had grown up in. She looked back to Ryan. She wanted him to be the one. The one she loved, the one to make everything better.  
  
  
  
Past: 1752  
  
Liam sat in his bed listening to the noises of the day outside there home. He could hear people calling out to one another, and sound of horses feet hitting the ground. His father was yelling at the servants nearby. Most likely in the courtyard. If he kept getting rid of them the way he did soon they would only have one. He paused to gaze around his room. Expensive furniture and decorations were everywhere. He had been born lucky. In a very well off merchant family. He knew that. People had told him enough times. He wasn't happy. He knew that too. He was sick of the non stop lifeless parties. The dull empty headed women, dressing in large dresses covered with diamonds. He wanted someone who understood him. Who wasn't just another lifeless doll. He went out at night. Drinking and whoring. It didn't fill the growing void. He wanted someone to love, someone to make everything better.  
  
  
  
Angel helped Faith up staggering a little himself. By this time they were both slightly drunk.  
  
"Come on Faith, I think we should get to our hotel room." He said practically falling on his face while he said it. This Faith helped him up this time.  
  
"You remember where it is?" she asked leaning against him.  
  
"The....you know....the.....elevator! We take the elevator."  
  
"Okay." Said starting to nuzzle her face into his neck.  
  
They finally got into the elevator and after a few moments remembered what floor they were on. They got to the 12th floor and went to there room. Faith fell onto the bed a lay there waiting for the room to stop spinning. Angel was leaning against a nearby wall rubbing his aching head. He went over and collapsed next to Faith on the nearby bed. He looked over at her. Still face down. Giving out a small grown.  
  
"Faith..." he said giving her a gentle nudge. She turned her head to look at him.  
  
"What?" she said quietly in a half sigh.  
  
"I can't remember....." he said almost falling asleep while he said it.  
  
Faith crawled over and rested her head on the top of his chest. They looked at each other for a moment. Then went toward each other and kissed.  
  
So what do you think? Is the story getting too long? To boring? Give me suggestions. 


	21. Afterwards

Faith opened her eyes slowly trying to avoid the bright light that seemed to be everywhere around her. Meanwhile her head was pounding. She gave out small groan. It was the familiar sting of a hang over. She had almost forgotten about her and Angel's drinking the other night. It took her a moment to realize that her arm was on top of something. Something moving. She opened her eyes and sat up slightly to see what it was. To her surprise it was Angel. During the night she cuddled in to him and he had slipped an arm around her waist. She moved to get up but couldn't. Her heads pounding got worse with every movement. She put her head back on Angel's chest thankful for once that he didn't have a heart beat. She never realized how cold his skin was she thought touching his cold hand. She slowly buried her head deep into his shirt. Angel murmured softly in his sleep and pulled her tighter. A smile came on her face. She loved this. Loved this feeling, and wished they could stay like this forever. She thought of Ryan suddenly. That's where she had felt this last. In his arms, but while she was in Angel's it was the same feeling. She wasn't sure what to do about it exactly. Did it mean that she had feelings for Angel? Even if she did what could she possible do about it?  
  
She didn't want to think about it. If she did feel that way about him....what? She could tell him. And if he didn't feel the same? That would be kind of awkward. They couldn't be like they were before. They talk like they did, couldn't be as close without that thought lingering in both there minds. She wouldn't be able to stand that. She would have to leave. She didn't want that. For the first time in her ENTIRE life she was happy. Complete.  
  
And what if he did feel the same? She could be even happier then she was now. Life would be....bliss she guessed. But eventually that would have to end. He'd get bored like the others. Liken Ryan. She would be even more attracted to him then. More...everything. It would kill her when he left. It would break her heart and she knew it. Besides what about his....Muffy? Duffy? Buffy? Whatever her name was. Wasn't she supposed to be his 'one true love; tragically separated be forces beyond either of their control." He'd always love her more. No matter what she did anyway. It was better not to think about it.....ever again. She began to close her eyes. A memory crossed her mind before she drifted back to sleep something about a kiss. Her eyes shot open and she sat up straight up, startling Angel wide awake.  
  
Angel looked around shocked and confused to what was going on. He looked over at Faith noticing that they were both under the covers. They must have fallen asleep this way he put together. He wasn't sure what to do or what was wrong. She looked a little shaken.  
  
"Faith are you okay?" he asked concerned.  
  
"Yeah!" she said quickly. "I'm...I just....I'm going to go take a shower." She said quickly getting out of the bed and quickly walking over to the bathroom. She quickly shut the door behind her.  
  
"Faith....." he was going to go after her but realized that that would be a bad idea. He looked around at the bed. He had a slight headache but it wasn't that bad. He was a vampire and it would take much more alcohol to give that bad of a hangover. He then starred at the bathroom door wondering what had gotten to Faith. He tried to shrug it off as nothing. Faith and he were close. She would tell him if something was wrong. At least that's what he told himself.  
  
He and Faith were close. If it had been anyone else the closeness would bother him severely but not with Faith. What had they done last night? It was taking him a minuet to remember. They were drinking. They came back here. It took them longer then it should have he remembered that. Then they came into the room. They both fell on the bed and then they kissed.....  
  
At this point his mind stopped completely.  
  
So how do like chapter 21? When I started this I thought it was only going to be at the most 8 chapters, but I think I like this one long. Give me reviews. 


	22. Addictive Tears

Sorry it's been so long with this story. Anyway, so here is chapter 22.  
  
Faith quickly closed the bathroom door and locked it. Stood there a moment, leaning against the door. She slowly moved away and turned on the shower. She took off all of her clothes slowly and put them to the side on the floor. She stepped into the shower and closed the shower door. She sat on the floor with her back to one of the walls and her knees in front of her. She just starred off in front of her. She remembered the kiss perfectly. It wasn't a simple friendly kiss. It was passionate. Tears were streaming down her face by this point. But she didn't make a noise. Angel would hear her; if it wasn't for that she would be sobbing hysterically. She couldn't make the tears stop coming.  
  
  
  
Angel looked ahead of him in a slight state of shock. How.....did this happen? He didn't even have to ask that he knew. He remembered it all. In the bar. He had been thinking about being with her. Asking himself if he wanted her, loved her. 'I've seen the way you look at her.' Well his question was answered. He could say that it was because he drank to much, he couldn't think straight, but that would be pointless. The way he had been feeling, the way he had been acting, the dreams, and this. He couldn't deny it. Even for himself. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to be with her badly. What about Faith though? He'd seen her face before she closed the door behind her. She looked completely horrified. That hurt. Not that it was Faith's fault, she just......what did she think?  
  
He still sat there. What surprised him the most was that he wasn't surprised, about any of this. He knew how he felt long ago even if he was in denial. When did it happen though? At what point? He thought about those months ago, he had gone out for a walk to find her being attacked in an ally. He had gone to help her. She pushed him away with a surprising amount of strength then he staked it. He turned around to see her on the ground. He remembered his first thought was how beautiful she was. Was it then? When he brought her to the hotel, she had fallen asleep on the couch while he was telling the other about her. When they left he picked her up to carry her up stairs and she nuzzled into his chest. He remembered his smile. Was it then? When leaned up against him on the stairs in her drunken state and he held her. Was it then? When they were talking while eating Chinese food in the lobby? He didn't know. It was either when or soon after he meets her. He remembered how jealous he got when Ryan first showed up at his door step telling him that Faith had been his fiancé.  
  
He hated the fact anyone could be, or could have been closer to Faith then he was. He loved her. It was obvious for so long. If anyone at all found out he loved Faith, she would be in more danger then ever before. It didn't matter if she felt the same or not. She was in danger right now he realized. But what could he do? He loved her; you can't just stop an emotion. He couldn't leave; she and their friends would follow. They wouldn't let him be alone again. He couldn't ask her to leave. She had been thrown away by so many people she cared about; he didn't want to be another one. And there was one fatal flaw in all these plans. He couldn't be without her. He didn't know how he could go a day without her. He would miss her voice her laugh every move she made too much. He would miss watching her, listening to her, talking to her. She was......his addiction. Cordelia's words once again. It was what she said after she had spoken those repetitive words.  
  
I've seen the way you look at her Angel. She's your addiction!  
  
She'd known since the beginning hadn't she. Cordelia, the watchful one. The one that always knew what was happening around her. She'd known what he had tried to ignore. His beautiful Faith. Only she would never be his. He felt that pain again. Maybe it was best that she didn't feel the same way. What could he give her? What if she did love him? He wanted that so badly. He could hear the shower in the bathroom. Faith remembered the kiss didn't she. Was she going to avoid him? He could say it was because they were both drunk. She didn't have to know. She wouldn't have to know or find out. He loved her, it would be his secret.  
  
  
  
Faith felt the tears run down her face. How could this happen? She was attracted to him but that didn't have to mean she loved him. She didn't love him. She didn't want to. If she loved him she would be hurt. Either right away or eventually. If she loved him she already loved him more then she ever loved Ryan and losing him had been painful enough for her to die. What would it be like if Angel left. She couldn't imagine that. He'd leave her eventually. Who was she kidding?! Why be with her in the first place? He knew how stupid she'd been, falling so easily for Ryan. He knew she slept with a vast amount of men. Why want to be with her? It would be better if she just kept it too herself. She couldn't let anyone know. In the other room she heard the door open and close. Angel must have left the room. Maybe he didn't even remember what happened last night. They had both been drunk not to mention half asleep. It would be better not to say a word about it. She could love him just not let him or anyone else know.  
  
I'm SO sorry that it's been so long to update for this story. With school and other things coming up soon I've been busy, but I'll try to update more. 


	23. Angel Eyes

Faith turned off the water of the shower. She heard the door close, Angel probably left. She stepped out of the shower and dried off. She put on a robe that had been left in the bathroom and opened the door slowly. He wasn't there. He must have left. Which is exactly what she wanted to do and fast before he could come back. It was best if she just avoided him for the rest of the day. If he didn't remember he would think anything of it, if he did he was probably avoiding her anyway.

She got dressed quickly then took off and went down the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Where now? Not the lobby.

'Duh Faith. Your in Los Vegas, there are millions of places to go. She headed it out the door and didn't look back. Angel wouldn't be out anyway, it was daylight. She walked down the street not really sure where she was heading. This place looked so much different in the day, she could hardly believe it was the same city.

As she walked people passed her by. People with problems and dreads of there own. She saw couples holding hands and kissing near her. She tried not to think of her and Angel. He wouldn't love her anyway. That hurt her but it could never come as a shock. Not many, if any people had ever loved her in her life. The ones she thought loved her ended up to be a lie. She was used to this kind of rejection, even if it was unknowing rejection.

She would be okay. She could get over it, hide it, ignore it, something.....she didn't know. She would be okay.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

Angel walked back to the hotel room holding a still freezing bucket of ice. He didn't know why he went to get it. Yes he did. He wanted to get out of the room, clear his mind.

He got out his card and tried five times before he could get the door open. He hated these things, how the hell did they ever replace keys? Well, cards can't have copies made of them, he guessed. He saw the bathroom door open and the robe on the nearby floor. Faith wasn't anywhere in sight. She left, he wasn't surprised. He did feel disappointed, he wanted her to be here when he got back. He could have stayed he told himself.

He lay down on the bed and wondered when she would be back. Where did she go even? He could go look for her but he wasn't sure if she wanted him to find her. Plus it was day, the sun was out, if she left the building there was no way for him to follow her.

He loved her. He knew it. He was sure his friends new it. The only one that didn't he guessed was Faith. But then maybe she did know. Maybe that was why she was avoiding him. He couldn't believe he loved again. After he left Buffy he thought she was the only one for him, that he could never think of a woman like that again. Then here came Faith. Beautiful Faith. Rebellious, defiant, distant, and slightly cold.

Faith. An odd chose of a name for her. He knew her life growing up had been much, much, less then perfect. Like his he guessed, but by the way she acted, much worse.

Angel and Faith. There names sounded good together. He thought they looked good together. He thought they were perfect together. Of course that's just what he thought, probably not what he thought.

He wasn't really anything like Ryan. Of course she hated Ryan now but at one point she loved him. There was something about him that attracted her to begin with. Something that she liked, something that she loved.

What kind of men did she like? He had no idea. He probably wasn't her type anyway so he might as well forget about it.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

Wolfram and Hart

"What do you mean there not at the hotel?!!?"

"I mean their NOT at the hotel!"

"Then where are they?!? Are you telling me they moved out of the city!?!?!"

"We don't know. They could have moved, could gone to help someone, gone......on vacation for all we know!!!"

"Look.....we HAVE to find them! Are current clients aren't going to take this to lightly if they find out we lost them. Find them....use any source we have available."

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

Faith walked into a small near by restaurant and sat down at the counter and ordered some eggs and orange juice. She ate quickly and walked out she turned back toward the hotel but was stopped suddenly by someone grabbing her arm.

She turned to see the last person she wanted to see now or ever.

"Ryan what in the HELL do you think your doing here?" She said glaring at him angrily.

"I had to see you." He said in a matter-o-fact kind of tone.

"How did you know I was here?!?!?! Are you following me or something?!!?!" She trying to keep herself from screaming, there were to many people around right not to get into a fight. Why couldn't he just leave her alone!?! Why did he have to show up now of all times?!? If he had come to her right after he left then she would have gone right to him.

For a split second she almost wished that had happened, but then she would never have meet Wesley, Gunn, or Cordelia....or Angel. But then she wouldn't have the problem of Angel but she would miss that. There was no doubt about it in her mind.

"Of course I followed you! You won't talk to me! I need you to talk to me! You can't go back to that guy he's all wrong for you!"

"What guy? Angel?" She mentally kicked herself for saying that aloud.

"Yeah, the guy you told me was 'just your friend', the two of you are sharing a single bed hotel room!!!!!!"

"How did you know that!" she said with a dreadful felling taking over her. "How did you find me." She said voice turning cold as ice.

"The hotel your staying in, my family owns it."

"Oh, my God." She said in a tone of half disbelief.

"Faith come with me."

"Are you out of your mind!?!?!?!?! Get away from me!" She quickly turned then walked away.

"You can't go." He said darkly, grabbing her and pulling her back.

"Get away from me!" she pulled away so quickly she nearly dragged him to the ground. She turned once again and this time ran off very quickly. She was a slayer after all. There was no way for him to keep up with her.

After she was a safe distance away she tried to figure out where she was going. The hotel? Yeah that would be great. Least see Angel would be there, and that would be awkward and of course he would know there was something wrong immediately, and ask her about it, and if that did open up it's own can of worms, Ryan owned the hotel. He knew she was there, probably even knew what room her friends were staying in. Hell he knew she and Angel were sharing a hotel room.

She had no where else to go. She could go to another casino......but she wasn't in the mood for gambling. She wanted to go drinking. At least then she wouldn't need to think about her problems. But somehow the thought of her being drunk in a strange city she had never been in before didn't seem that appealing.

She just started walking. Where she ended up, she would just end up.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

There was a loud almost frantic knocking at the door. Angel's eyes snapped open and blinked a few times. He remembered being board and tried. He had come back to his room after eating with Wesley and Gunn. He had thrown off his shirt and just fallen asleep on the bed.

He went to the door as fast as he could. Maybe it was Faith.

Then why would she be knocking?

Maybe she forgot her key.

There are no cards laying around here.

Maybe she lost it.

He quickly opened the door.

"Faith! I've been waiting fo-..."

He stopped when he saw who was at the door. It was Ryan. He'd only seen him twice but he knew it was him.

The too of them glared at each other. Both of them obviously thought it was Faith on the other side of the door, what they both go was the last person they wanted to see.

"What are doing here?" Angel asked as calmly as he could. He wanted to bust his face in with a lead pipe.

"I'm looking for Faith. I already know she's staying here.......with you." He said that last part with an obvious tone of hatred.

"She's not here right now. It doesn't matter anyway. I want you to stay away from her and so does she. So stop calling, stop sending her gifts and leave us alone."

"That's not really your choice now is it?"

Angel grabbed him and looked like he was about to hit him when a voice came from next to them.

"What are you doing?!"

It was Faith.

Angel let him go. He didn't really want Faith to think he could hurt a human being.

"Ryan leave."

"Faith..."

"Go!"

"Faith!"

Faith ignored his last comment and walked passed Angel and went into there room. Angel followed and shut the door behind them.

"How did he find us?!?!?"

"His father owns the hotel, plus has he been following me." Faith said. She was actually happy that Ryan had showed up it gave them something to yell about while not talking about the other night.

"How do you know?!?!" He asked surprised and still angry that Ryan had showed up. Faith didn't want him around and neither did he. If Faith hadn't showed up he would have beaten the crap out of him.

"I was out earlier he grabbed me and started talking to me, he wouldn't leave me alone so I ran away."

"Maybe we should go stay some where else."

"What?"

"If he owns this hotel.....he knows where we are all the time, he can throw us out for any stupid reason he wants, and he's here. He can be in this building, he can be near you all the time. I don't want him near you, he could.......do.....something to you."

"Like what?"

"How the hell should I know?!?!? But the thing is he could!" Angel said getting more upset by the second.

"Angel...."

"Look maybe we should talk to everyone else about this."

"Angel I don't want them to...." She was cut off though.

"Come on just help me pack."

Faith just stood in the corner with a slightly sad expression on her face.

"Angel."

"Yeah." He said not looking up from the bag he was starting to pack.

"Why did you kiss me the other night?"

Okay here's the new chapter. Sorry it took me so long with this one, I hope you like though.


	24. Unwanted Question

Faith looked at him, his back still turned to her. She just wanted to know then she could let it go. She could drop it from her mind. Maybe he would be with her and maybe he wouldn't have time to hurt her. She was a slayer after all. She'd probably be dead within the year. It wouldn't be a long term commitment for him, for him it would just be for fun. She just wanted to know, but already she regretted asking.

Angel stood perfectly still. He didn't really know what to say. He hadn't expected her to ask. Should he tell her the truth? But then what could that accomplish? But then again, maybe that's what she wanted to hear. Faith needed an answer he couldn't just not say anything. He never could really get his words out though, not about his feelings anyway. Angel still had his back to her he didn't want to look at her. Everything about them was going to change with what he said next. And afterwards it would never be the same between them. She wouldn't let them be as close. He probably would never get to hold her again. What if she left? He couldn't just ignore the question he had to say something.

Faith looked at his back. She shouldn't have brought it up. She shouldn't have even thought about it. How could she have done something so stupid? Why did she always have to do things like this? Why did she always have to ruin everything?! She should never have asked. So stupid. Angel. Please forget I asked. Just please….

Suddenly the door swung open. It was Ryan. This had to be the only time in years she had been happy to see him.

"Faith look, you HAVE to come with me! I can explain in a minuet, just come on!"

"She's NOT going anywhere with you." Angel said turning around and looking at him. His voice that deadly calm. He wanted to kill him. Why could he just stay away from her?

He'd hurt Faith. Badly. He made her cry. Faith just wanted someone to care about and he ruined it.

"This isn't about you. This is about me and Faith." Ryan shot back.

"Look I don't know how you got in here but get out."

"Why don't you just back off?"

"Forget it!" Angel practically screamed taking another step closer. He was about to say more when he heard Faith scream.

"ANGEL!!!!!!!"

Then everything went dark.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

Angel opened his eyes. His head was pounding like a drum. He was lying on his side and was on cold tiled surface. Where the hell was he?

He tried to move his hands but they were tied together. Tied? What? Faith?

Where was Faith?! He had been at the hotel with her and then Ryan had showed up then everything went blank. Ryan did he do something? Where was Faith?

He looked at his surroundings in was in the back of….what a truck? No more like a paddy wagon or something. And in the corner there was Holland Manners.

Sorry it's been so long since I updated and I'm really sorry this chapter is so short school's been murder. I'll try to right more sooner this time though. I have some vacation time coming up.


	25. A Stroy Continuence

"Where's Faith!" He said desperate to get his hands free. What did they do to her? She could be hurt. He'd kill them if they touched her at all.

"Interesting that's the first thing you say. You've really gotten attached to her haven't you?"

"Where is she!"

"Oh, don't worry about her. She's with a friend of mine."

"What are you going to do with her?"

"I think you better forget all about her, it would be best for everyone. In fact I'll give you a hand."

"What are you talking about?"

"You see Angel we never needed Faith to get to you with our department we could easily capture you anytime we wanted. The Senior Partners have special plans for you that can't be interrupted but by your fisty little Amazon, but someone else was very interested in her. So to make a long story short she's with them and your on your way to have some blood taken by our medical lab and to get your memory whipped clean of Faith so you don't try another one of those daring rescues your so famous for."

Angel just lay there. He knew he was trapped, but was Holland serious? Could he whip his memory of Faith? He couldn't let that happen, he couldn't let Faith stay where ever she was, it couldn't be good. And he wasn't about to let Faith think that he had just abandoned her.

Besides, he didn't want to forget Faith. The thought of not being able to bring up Faith's face, her laugh, her smile, the feel of her hair and everything else about her. He could go back to when he didn't know her.

Faith sat where she was. Like she had any other choice. She was completely paralyzed all over her body. She couldn't feel a thing.

She remember Angel unconscious on the floor. It had been one of those men in black, the one's before that had been in her room. She still didn't know where he had come from. But he's knock out Angel and shocked her into paralization. Angel, where are you?

What if he was dead? It would all her fault. Angel…..

She heard the door open. It was Ryan walking in. She wished he was dead.

"Sorry, just had to get something to drink." He said taking a sip of whatever ever the fuck was in that wine glass.

"So your probably wondering what's going on." He said calmly.

No duh, jackass.

"Well when we first meet I wasn't honest. You see my family, aside from owning an assortment of hotels and casinos, is heavily into controlling demon clans and such. A new slayer near a group of our demons looked like a problem so I decided to check it out.

That's when I found you. I new there wasn't anyone around who could take you so I had to come with something else and thus came the rest of the story. But after you were gone I missed you so much. I had to get you back. I love you."

Yeah, that's really going to win me back Faith thought still unable to move.

"So I brought you here, with the help of the people at Wolfram and Hart. I knew if we could talk we would have this all worked out and everything could go back to the way it was. And don't worry about your friends they'll all have their memories of you whipped clean, you don't have to worry them."

Faith's heart sunk. They wouldn't remember her? Any of them? Angel? Would his life be better with out her? Angel would you care?

He had to get out and find Faith. There was nothing else he could think about. He felt the door behind him open. He was being dragged out of the car. They were two men with stakes. Not a lot of security. They didn't think he'd kill a human. Maybe not, but then again this was Faith they were talking about and the people at Wolfram and Hart didn't exactly qualify as 'people'.

Only one thing to do.

He quickly let his face change.

That's it for now. Sorry if it sounds rushed. Next will be better. I think only about two chapters left after this.


	26. Upcoming Event

Hey everybody here is the next chapter. Just so you know I have been put marks between different scenes but for some reason sometimes they don't show up. If that happens I'm sorry I'll try to have the problem fixed.

Faith still paralyzed was still desperately trying to find away to move again but with out much luck. There was no fucking way she was going to let Ryan go through with this.

As for Ryan himself, he was still sitting in front of her getting more and more drunk. She always knew he liked to drink but in the past few years it had obviously gotten a lot worse. For now he was just babbling on incoherently.

"You know you're a hard one to find….and….and…catch." he slurred not even looking at her. "I wanted to find ya but….yes I did. I promise the knife wont hurt much either."

This drew backs Faith attention though he probably didn't notice. The only part of herself she could really move was her eyes.

"You know…don't you know…you know…put the Cortez knife in the body of a slayer betrayed by a love under the full moon…that's what we've go to do. Then it'll make me immortal, has to be me with the betrayal and all…..don't worry I can bring you back…then you'll always be mine, you'll have to listen to me…you and me Faith, forever."

Why is there always a spell? And a knife? What ever happened to the good old days when a girl just got kidnapped and tied to some railroad tracks?

"You know…" he let out almost an insane laugh. "We tried to get you a couple times on our own. First time we were outside…" more drunken laughter. "I…I….dropped the gun, bullet went straight threw the window. They didn't know…dad…Wolfram…babbling on to them didn't know….tried breaking in and got our asses kicked. Kicked our asses. Gotta love that."

Well that ties up some loose ends, thought Faith sarcastically. He watched him blither on like an idiot for a little while longer but soon figured he wasn't going to say anything else helpful or even vaguely interesting.

At least he's still drinking, that's at least one thing that's gone my way. She kept hoping he'd pass out, hopefully long enough for the drug to wear off so she could kick his ass. She thought she was getting some feeling back in her lower legs but she couldn't be completely sure.

It was going to be a close one.

"Wait, who has her exactly?" Wesley said starring at Angel who had just literally burst through the hotel room door.

"Ryan, old boyfriend, at our hotel, now he has Faith and we have to get her back in the next six hours."

"Not that I don't want to get Faith back too, but why in the next six hours?" said Gunn matching Wesley's concerned look.

"The two guards I was left with got the information from one of them. This Ryan guy is going to use Faith in some kind ritual to make him immortal and it's happening in about six hours."

"Why would he just willingly give you that kind of info?" Cordelia asked.

The two friends just starred at each other for a minuet.

"Oh" Was all she said after that.

"Now when you say immortal what kind do you mean? Like that Sunnydale mayor wanting to be a demon or just so he can't die?"

"What has that got to do with anything that point is that he's got Faith, who cares what he's going to turn into."

"What he wants to become may be key in finding him and Faith. Many rituals like these require some sort of specific location, height, or large number of people. At least that should narrow it down some."

"Cortez knife, there was something about a Cortez knife do you know it."

"No but it sounds vaguely familiar. I've brought some of my books with me just in case of an emergency." Said Wesley heading over and beginning to open his bag.

"What about this Ryan guy?" Gunn questioned in.

"What?"

"Isn't there any lead on him besides being Faith's ex."

"He's from a rich family, he might still have a connection to some girl named Julia, and he owns the hotel."

"What hotel? This hotel!" Cordelia said looking around an almost searching motion.

"Yeah."

"Well you think that might be a little useful to know?" he said heading toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Front desk. Manager will probably know a lot more about the owners the anyone working for room service." He said closing the door behind him and quickly heading down the hall.

"Here." Wesley said passing out books to Angel and Cordelia. "There might be something in these books. Angel you've got the one on immortality rituals, Cordelia yours is on the names of demons, witches, et cetera and I've mystical objects. Between the three of us we should be able to manage to find something."

Faith could finally begin to feel her body. It felt heavy and she still couldn't move very much but she could still feel it. As far as she was concerned that was a step in the right direction.

Ryan however had moved way to close for her comfort. He was currently sitting on the floor leaning against her legs. She didn't like it but at least it was better then him touching her face, which is exactly what he had been doing earlier.

He was still intoxicated and a little out of it. That made her relax some. They weren't going to perform any kind of magical ritual with him drunk out of his head, were they?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud knocking at the door.

"Sir, it's getting late, it's about time we leave for our destination. Your father has already called four times. He refuses to wait another month. He is very excited about your soon to be ascension. He's waiting."

There was a long period of silence. Faith was still unable to speak, the man at the door was apparently waiting for Ryan to come to the door or answer him in some way and Ryan who was near unconscious was definitely not going to be saying anything anytime soon.

Then there was another knock as loud as the first one.

"Sir?"

Another loud knock this time much louder then the previous ones.

"Sir can you hear me?"

Which was of course followed by more knocking.

"Sir? Can you hear me? Sir?"

Faith rolled her eyes wondering how long this was going to go on for. Ryan was completely out of it and the guy at the door was no genius. However this little episode did support her theory that Ryan wasn't supposed to be drunk tonight.

With any luck Ryan's previous state would have the whole thing delayed.

Delayed for what?

Eventually that guy was going to get in here and soon after that she would probably be getting another drug dose. Her only chances were if the doorman was as stupid as he sounded or if her friends came and rescued her.

That's if they still knew who the hell she was. Ryan hadn't said when Wolfram and Hart were going to perform the mind washing spell. What if it had already happened and her friends didn't even know she existed?

But then again maybe he was just bluffing about that. Trying to make her give up hope for escape, or maybe Wolfram and Hart lied about the whole spell thing to him, or maybe they wouldn't do it until after the ritual was performed. They had a deal with him about getting Angel. What if Angel had gotten away? Wouldn't that conceal the deal? They didn't really seem like the type who would waste even a drop of their power unless they were getting something out of it.

There were too many 'what ifs', right now all she had to do was concentrate on what she could do and that was try to get out of here and find Angel and the others. If she could just move a little. The knocking was more frantic.

Maybe that did mean this stuff was going to lose it's effect soon. That's why 'door man' was getting so nervous. He thought she had already gotten out.

Clinging to that she tried harder to move, to flex her muscles. She decided all she needed was a little more effort and a little more time, then she'd be out of here. She just had to focus on that.

"I've found it." Said Wesley putting the book flat down on the hotel room table. "The Cortez knife. Forged by the Spanish sorcerer Cortez in the 1600's. It has powerful abilities to bring in mystical forces from other realms. Only one was ever made. It can be used in changing a being into another form or be used to endow special gifts. Oh dear."

"Somehow I just knew there was going to be an 'oh dear' nothing that good can come at a cheap price." said Cordelia looking over his shoulder.

"No it doesn't. In order to work it has to drain a powerful life force from something that carries the essence of the most ancient of incorporeal demons."

"That's good though, right? I mean that means their not going to have to do anything to Faith to get it to work."

"Not exactly."

"What do mean?" asked Angel in a hard voice. "Faith has nothing to do with an ancient demon."

"Angel, Faith has everything to do with an ancient demon. Haven't you ever wondered where slayers get their power from? Eons ago a girls was taken and infected with the essence of a demon through the most blackest of magic's."

"Are you saying that slayer power is actually demon power?"

"From what I've heard. I don't actually know the whole story. But I suppose it makes sense. Fighting fire with fire."

Angel was getting more agitated by the second. "So they're going to use this knife and kill her?"

"Yes, but there is good news. The ritual has such specific requirements that it can only be done a total of five different places on earth. Two are very close. One in California which is, not surprisingly, just a few miles east of Sunnydale, the other is here in Nevada. Three hours drive into the desert north of Los Vegas. Considering where we are and the amount of time there is left I'm guessing it will be the latter."

"So all we have to do is get out there before anything can be done."

The door opened and Gunn walked into the room.

"Good news. Manager said that the people who own this place have a big secluded mansion near the desert."

"How did you get them to tell you that?"

"Are you kidding me? I had this guy convinced we were old friends. Now all we have to do is go out and get Faith. What did you guys find?"

"A lot. Come on we'll tell you on the way."


End file.
